Darling in the Franxx: Project X
by XSauce
Summary: Zero Two has had few people in her life she truly cared about. But when she is reunited with a ghost from her past, old feelings rise up once again. And she must decide with who she wants to share he wings!
1. Chapter 1: Enter X007

" _Suspended until further notice"_

Those words just kept running through his head over and over as if there was nothing left in the world for him to think about.

"Suspended until further notice"

He whispered to himself quietly, watching his hands tremble out in front of him, whether they were trembling from anger, pain, or sadness he did not know. All he knew was that he desperately wanted them to stop, and to be able think about anything other than the four words that had both his heart and his mind in such an iron grip he thought he might go insane! He desperately needed an outlet for the emotions that were flooding his body.

"If only I could see her" he thought to himself. All these emotions could be banished away with one quick smile…that perfect smile that seemed to make all things right in the world. He slowly turned his gaze to the mirror that hung on his small closet door. His hands still shaking he stood up straight and looked himself over. He was slightly taller and had a stronger build than the average child his age. It was easy to look at him and forget just how young he actually was. With dark brown hair cut shorter on the sides than on top, he possessed a very clean cut military look. He preferred it this way, just looking at it made him feel disciplined in its own strange way. And discipline was something he felt he desperately needed in order to stay sane, especially with everything that had been going on lately. The only abnormal things in this scene were the few stray tears fighting to get loose from his deep blue eyes. This site alone was enough to snap him from his daze.

Slapping himself lightly, he took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. As his chest expanded and compressed with each breath, he could feel himself regaining control over his emotions once more. He knew if he allowed his current emotions to control his actions he would do something he might regret in the future. "The best course of action can sometimes be inaction" he thought to himself trying to raise his spirits.

He slowly made his way across the small room that had been his "home" for the last few years to open the door to the closet and change clothes. As he began to remove his parasite suit he could feel the pain rush through his muscles like hot iron. It was obvious the last few missions had taken quite a toll on his body; but admitting that fact felt like defeat so he did his best to push that thought…and the pain aside.

Since his room didn't have a shower he decided against taking one that night, though his chances of seeing someone were slim he didn't want to take that risk. He didn't want to talk to anyone…about anything. So instead he put on a small white T-shirt and some soft grey training pants. After closing the small closet door he turned to face his "home."

It was a small simple grey room containing a closet just large enough for the few sets of clothes he owned with a mirror hanging on the front of the door. On one side of the room sat a metal desk and chair with a few books on military strategy he was supposed to be studying, and on the other side was his bed with its simple grey bedspread and pillow. "Yep home sweet home" he said out loud with as much sarcasm to his voice as he could muster. Although, if he was honest with himself the only thing he used this room for was to study and sleep, he spent the rest of time training…and being tested on, so he knew it was more than adequate for his needs.

After flipping off the light he laid down in bed staring into the darkness trying to calm his mind. The faint orange glow of his wrist band filled a small area of the room with its soft light. Breathing a quick sigh he lifted his arm to get a good look at what was displayed on the screen. The black numbers stared back at him almost mockingly.

 **X007**

That was him, his unique code number. The X meant he was different from the other parasites it was supposed to represent that he was special. He used to take great pride in that big black X, but right now he felt anything but special. Looking at it he was reminded how he once thought it would make him a hero, a great symbol of hope to all the plantations! Unfortunately those were nothing but distant and empty memories. Even when his childish fantasies of being a hero had left him, that X still gave him a sense of purpose, it pushed him to train harder and challenge his limits during training every single day.

He and his squad were going to defend the plantations from the newest threat of Klaxosaur, something no other squad could do. Or at least that's what the scientists and Papa kept telling them. Laying there in the dark room he couldn't help but think about the events that had transpired over the last few years. Some might even argue that the catastrophe of these events were second only to the Klaxosaurs initial arrival on the scene of human history. But all he knew was those events were the reason for the X in his code.

Everyone in his squad had read the reports about how the new Stratos class Klaxosaur had single handedly wiped out the parasite squad of Plantation 115, leaving it defenseless as it began to tear through the planation as if it were nothing more than a child's play thing. And then again one year later at plantation 96 a Stratos type slaughtered the squad of ace Franxx pilots handpicked by Papa himself to handle this new threat. In both instances Papa had to make the ultimate decision to blow up the planation under attack in order to stop the Klaxosaur before it could do further damage to another plantation.

Compared to larger classes the Stratos class was not much to look at, they barely stood taller than the current Franxx. However its size was extremely deceiving. Its raw strength unmatched by any Klaxosaur class they had seen before. That strength matched with an armored outer shell that kept the weapons from the current Franxx from piercing its core, meant the Stratos class was a force to be reckoned with. The only good news was the fact they seemed to be rare, the last sighting being the incident at plantation 96 a few years ago, thankfully giving humanity time to come up with a plan to fight back. The codename for this plan was…Project X.

X007 sat himself up in his bed, fear gripping his mind. He was confident that not seeing a Stratos in so long only meant one thing. They were due to see another soon. As he glanced back down at his wristband X007 could feel his stomach begin to churn. He slowly laid his aching body back down in bed and stared straight into the darkness trying to calm his nerves. "I have to go find her tomorrow" he thought to himself. He wasn't for sure what he would say or do; all he knew was that he had to find her.


	2. Chapter 2: A Special Place

"AHHHHHH" X007 screamed as he bolted upright in his bed, his heart racing trying to escape from its prison that was his chest. He leapt out of bed his breathing ragged, his body screaming in pain with every movement. He whirled around quickly looking for an escape his mind spinning, his body gasping for air as if he were drowning in a sea of his own thoughts. Losing his balance he collapsed to one knee on the floor, looking up he caught a quick glance of himself in the mirror.

He could see the look of panic, his eyes reflecting the pure unfiltered fear he felt inside. As he slowly stood up he began to finally catch his breath. His mind calming he noticed he was completely covered in sweat. "Another nightmare" he thought to himself as he sat down on his bed grabbing his head with his hands, trying to regain the last bit of his composure. "I haven't had one of those in quite some time" he had been having nightmares for as long as he could remember, but for the last 6 months he seemed to have escaped them. Was she was the reason for their disappearance? More determined than ever before he quickly changed into his training gear. He knew he had been rescheduled to meet his squad mates over at the training center. "But training can wait, I have other matters to attend to." he said aloud as he walked through his door into the facility.

He began making his way quickly down the labyrinth of hallways that made up the facility. His legs burned with each step but he barely noticed lost deep in thought of what he would say to her. His chest began to knot up thinking about their last conversation. He desperately did not want those to be the final words spoken between them, he had so much that he needed to say. The tighter the knot in his chest became the quicker his footsteps. Before he knew it he was sprinting, his feet desperately trying to keep pace with the thoughts running through his mind. As he rounded the final corner on the way to his destination he could see the access gate that secured the area in which she stayed. Pain coursed through his body as he ran but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward as the gate moved ever closer.

 _ACCESS DENIED_

Hitting the locked gate at a full run rattled his entire body and knocked him to the floor. Sitting up he stared in disbelief at the large red letters staring back at him. He slowly brought himself to his feet thinking how he had never been locked out of a sector of the facility before. The reality of his situation still not fully setting in he slowly reached his hand out to touch the locked gate once more.

"Hey what are you doing over here!?"

The lone voice quickly snapped him back to reality, taking a quick look over his shoulder he could see a lone guard slowly making his way, weapon raised, down the hallway. X007 slowly turned to face the guard, resisting the urge not to fight him and take his badge. If he did something stupid like that then he really would have no hope of seeing her.

"X007? I'm sorry but you are no longer authorized to be in this sector" the guard stated as he slowly began to lower his weapon.

X007 could slowly start to feel the heavy burden of defeat looming over him, getting nervous he began to stammer "I'm sorry….I just needed to see…"

The guard cut him off "Sorry X007 you need to get to the training yard with your other squad mates."

"But" X007 began to argue. He had always hated the fact the guards were given a copy of their schedules in order to keep a better eye on him and his squad mates.

The guard cut him off once more, raising his weapon again "No exceptions X007"

The weight of defeat caused X007 to slump his shoulders; he really needed to see her right now! He needed to tell her she had shown him his place in the world. Something he had desperately been searching for. It was something he had already lost once, and he had no intention of losing it again. Clenching his fist in frustration holding back the insufferable urge to get to her by force, he forced himself step by step to make it farther and farther from the gate.

"I will find a way to see her." He promised himself. After their last conversation he had no other choice. He had made her a promise after all…

"Why does EVERYTHING have to hurt?" he thought to himself as he slowly made his way to the training area to see his squad mates. He was used to his body hurting; it was pretty much a constant in his life at this point. But his heart filled with dread at the thought of facing his squad mates, and the sorrow of not getting to see her, was starting to finally take its toll on him.

As he made his way through the twisting turning halls of the facility he passed through the security gate that lead to the catwalk overlooking the Mark Two hangar bay. Passing through the hangar definitely was not the fastest way to the training area. But right now he mostly just wanted to be alone, besides none of them would understand how he was feeling right now…none of the ones left away. As he took his time walking across the catwalk he paused and gazed over at the Franxx that were held here. Five in total, their dark blue and black armor combined with the magma energy sword strapped to their back gave them a very intimidating look in the dim lighting of the bay. But these weren't just any Franxx these were the Mark Twos. Dr. Franxx answer to the new Stratos type klaxosaur and the problems they presented.

In terms of defense a second layer of armor had been added to the Franxx. It was think, heavy, and covered their entire body including the head, but left just enough space for the eyes to show through. It gave the Mark Twos a very knight like appearance. The hope behind this modification was that it would allow for added protection against the punishing blow of a Stratos. Offensive modifications were made so that the Mark Twos could use more magma energy in a single blow which would create a much more powerful strike. The hope was that once a Mark Two pilot found an opening they could unleash a single powerful strike that could break through the Stratos armor plating allowing them to then target the core. Of course these were all still theories…none of it had actually been put into practice yet.

X007 leaned over the railing to get a better view of the Mark Twos. Standing slightly taller than the current Franxx and all the added armor giving them a larger frame they reminded him a lot of himself. They were…One of a kind…special…and he knew all too well that being "special" wasn't always a good thing. In the case of the Mark Twos it was the fact that they were too heavy and required too much power to be piloted using the standard pistil and stamen configuration. Instead Dr. Franxx designed a way for both pilots to be hooked into the Frannx simultaneously. The pistil maintained their normal configuration while the stamens now took a standing position instead of a seated one. Special gauntlets attached to the cockpit were designed for the stamen, allowing them to connect with the Franxx.

However this did not solve all of the problems. The Mark Twos placed so much strain on the pilot's bodies that even with two pilots hooked to the Franxx they could barely do more than make them perform simple functions. Piloting for too long or trying to push the Mark Two too hard put the pilots at risk of losing their life….and some of the early ones did.

The answer to this problem eventually came in the form of the pilots from Project X. The purpose of the project was to create stronger, faster, and more resilient pilots by genetically modifying children using magma energy. X007 and his squad mates were the product of this science experiment. Parasites created specifically for one purpose…to pilot the Mark Twos.

"And I can't even do that anymore." X007 thought to himself as he gripped the railing to the catwalk.

Looking at the Mark Twos took him back to his first time piloting. He had been partnered with X005, like him she was taller than average with dark brown hair, green eyes, and a big goofy grin. Thinking about her brought a small smile to X007s face. He remembered walking up to the Mark Two with X005 already there to meet him, her eyes full of excitement and that big grin on her face.

They had been partnered up together a few months before this and had been encouraged to spend as much time together as possible to try and make syncing up easier. They hit it off almost immediately. She was smart and playful with a quick wit about her that could always make him laugh, something that was a rarity within the facility.

They spent as much time as possible in each other's company. If they weren't eating, training, or studying together they spent their time walking around the garden area simply talking about any hopes or dreams they might have. He even told her about his nightmares, something he had refrained from telling anyone. Not the scientists, the Doctors, even his other squad mates. She was truly his first real friend, someone he could trust with anything.

"She truly was something special." He whispered to himself his grip tightening on the railing.

She had a love for life that not even Project X could take from her. She never let the world take that smile off her face. Piloting with her for the first time was like being in dream. Her enthusiasm, strong will, and infectious personality would wash over him like a warm tide. In that moment he knew that his place in the world was beside her. For once in his life he wanted more than to just be a "hero." He had a new purpose in his life…even if it was something as simple as keeping the smile on X005s face.

"But how did she feel about piloting with me?" he wondered. Could she feel all of his self-doubt? Taste his fears? It was something he always wondered. But if it ever bothered her she never showed it inside or outside the cockpit of the Mark Two.

The railing began to flex slightly under his grip as his emotions swelled like a rogue wave ready to come crashing down on his already fragile psyche. All the time they had spent together had really changed him as a person. He had always been accused of being too serious about everything and not being able to relax or have any amount of fun. He didn't want to be that way, but thanks to the early stages of Project X he had developed the mentality that if he wanted to survive he needed to be serious and disciplined. However, regardless of that fact, when he was with X005 he could always relax and laugh. She taught him to really cherish those little moments in life where everything just seemed right. When he was with her he thought he could change as a person…he was sure of it. There was so much more he could learn from her, so much more he WANTED to learn from her…..but she was gone.

 _SCREEEEEEEECHHH!_

The sound of screaming metal tore him from his thoughts and snapped him back to reality. He looked down only to see that in his fit of frustration he had crushed the railing in his grip.

"Shit! Get ahold of yourself!" he cursed as he slowly ran his fingers through his short hair. He couldn't afford to lose his cool. Not yet.

He quickly began to dry his eyes from the tears that had been sneaking up on him. "X005 would have a fit if she caught me acting like this."

A soft smile slowly found its way across his face at the thought of being able to introduce X005 to his latest partner. "They really would have liked each other." He whispered to himself in the empty bay.

However, that smile quickly faded as he took one last look at the Mark Twos. Sure they were different than the other Franxx and had their own set of problems. But despite all of that they still had a place here. They had a purpose! Unlike him…with that thought weighing heavily on his mind he turned to exit the hangar bay and head down the final stretch that lead to the training area.

Finally making it to the end of the corridor he leaned up against the wall to support his weight. He was exhausted. His body still had not physically recovered from his last mission and the addition of his emotional state sure wasn't helping anything.

Looking out onto the training area his eyes slowly moved to each of his squad mates. They were all taller than the average child their age and possessed unnatural strength, incredible speed, razor sharp reflexes, and a higher resilience to physical damage. They were the end result of Project X. A twinge of sadness washed over him as he watched his 4 remaining squad mates train. Just like X005 the rest of them were gone.

There were 10 of them at the beginning, still small young children at that time. All of them told they had been specially picked to participate in the genetic testing. Promised that their lives were going to change, that they would have a more significant purpose, they would have a special place in this world! A place…as heros.

X007 slightly laughed at himself, he had once held those words so close to his heart. At one time they were the only thing that drove him, but now he understood how empty their words had truly been. They hadn't lied to them though. Their lives did in-fact change. Especially once they started the injections.

They were horrible. Once a week they would all line up to receive the injections that would modify their genes. The shots themselves weren't anything terrible…but what came after was truly horrifying.

X007 began to shudder, his stomach turning itself into knots.

The pain that came after was unlike anything he had experienced before. His blood turned to lava. His own heart turned into a torture weapon as it pumped. He vividly remembered squirming on the floor screaming in anguish wishing he were dead. His skin on fire his bones melting inside his own body as his heart continued to pump boiling blood throughout his body. The only things to drown out his screams were the screams of the other children. No matter how hard he tried he could never forget those screams. They were engraved in his mind, a sound track that would haunt him for the rest of his days. Those screams, his and the others, were the reason for his nightmares.

If you asked any of the scientists they would tell you the injections had made them "perfect." But this so called perfection came with a heavy cost. Sure the genetic mods had given them almost superhuman abilities, but he and his squad mates had one major flaw…they were still only human.

The scientists had some long complicated name they used to describe the parasites condition. But he never really bothered to remember it. He knew everything he already needed to know. The strain from the modifications was just too much for them to handle. Sure they had a much higher tolerance to physical harm. But that doesn't matter when your body is tearing itself apart from the inside out!

Anyone else watching his squad mates train probably would have found them amazing! Mesmerized by how quick their movements were and the amount of strength they were able to display! But X007 knew what was really going on while his squad mates exerted themselves to exhaustion. Muscle fibers slowly tearing themselves into pieces as they were asked to exceed their limits over and over again, lungs burdened with the task of supplying such a body with enough oxygen, and a heart struggling to keep up. They were all dying at an accelerated rate…it was an ugly reality.

"All of them are hurting not just me; we each face our reality in our own way." X007 reminded himself.

"But I'm not facing anything just standing around here" he mumbled as he picked himself up off the wall and made his way onto the training center floor. He hadn't seen his squad mates much in the last 6 months and was nervous about what their reaction would be at his sudden arrival. Standing alone he watched them continue training until he finally locked eyes with X009.

"X007? Is that you!?" she exclaimed.

At these words everyone stopped their training and brought their gaze over in his direction. X007 could feel his body tense in anticipation for what would happen next.

"It really is you!" X009 beamed as she ran over to greet him. She was a little shorter than the rest of them, but not by much. With short light brown hair that was honestly always sort of a mess matched with dark brown eyes.

X007 could feel himself beginning to relax a little. She had always been sweet, he honestly couldn't recall a time she had spoken a mean word to anyone. But she tended to be on the nervous side, he wanted to choose his words carefully; he didn't want to needlessly worry her.

"Hey X009, it's great to see you! I'm sorry if I interrupted your training I really should have waited until you guys took a break."

"Oh no! Your fine! We were just about to take a break anyway!" she responded waving her arms.

"Great! Looks like I showed up just in time then!" He flashed her a quick smile. It was obvious he had already made her a little nervous.

"Geez man I seriously thought you were dead!" the voice belonged to X004. He was X009s partner and thankfully another kind member of their squad. He was the largest and possibly the strongest member of the group, his blonde hair somewhat falling in front of his face slightly obstructing his blue eyes.

"Nope not dead yet!" X007 fired back still smiling. "And seriously when are you going to get a haircut?" he spouted off with a laugh.

X004 leaned in and gave him a friendly punch in the arm, "Are you kidding? And get even more handsome? I don't think X009 could handle it!"

X009 began to slowly shake her head. "Why do you have to be the way that you are? You're always full of such crap."

X007 couldn't help but laugh for real this time. Those two were always like this. He had forgotten how much fun they were to be around.

At this point X001 and X010 had made their way over to the small group. X007 turned to greet them. But as he opened his mouth X001 cut him off.

"So why are you here?"

"Blunt as usual." X007 mumbled under his breath. X001 stood taller than the rest and was undisputedly the best fighter in the group. He had been named the squad leader early on and had a very strict no nonsense personality about him. X007 honestly didn't know if the guy even knew how to relax, something he had personally been guilty of until he had been partnered with X005. As usual X001s black hair was combed over to one side without a single hair out of place. His steel blue eyes focused on X007 looking for answers. But strangely enough he had an eye patch covering one of them.

"What happened to your eye?"

"Training accident"

"Must have been some accident"

"Don't try and avoid my question."

"X001 take it easy on him he just got here!" X009 pleaded

"Why should I?" X001 snarled back. "I've got questions and he's got answers"

"But…" X009 began to argue

"X001 is right X009" X004 stated as he cut her off. "He leaves for six months for some "secret assignment" and won't tell us what it's about. And then the few times we do see him he is with some weird girl none of us have even seen before." He crossed his arms breathing a quick sigh and turned to look at X007. "The least he can do is give us some answers."

X007 could feel his heart rate begin to spike. He knew this would happen this was the moment he had dreaded all along. They were right of course they deserved answers. But he knew they were not going to like what he had to say.

"Well?" X001 growled beginning to get impatient. "Who was she? What is going on?"

"She…she was my partner"

"What the hell? Are you kidding me!?" X010 screamed.

X007 turned to look at her he had almost forgot she was there; she had been totally silent up to this point. She was X001s partner and her short red hair was a perfect match for her fiery temper. Her emerald green eyes filled with anger at X007s response.

"You better explain yourself right now X007!"

X007 knew his answer was not going to be popular. Thanks to Project X the only people he and his squad mates had in this world were each other. Because of this they had all formed a very unique bond. He wouldn't call what they had a friendship but it was probably as close as one could get. They had grown up together enduring the hardships of their modifications. Supported each other during training and dreamed for a brighter future. There was always the uncertainty of if the world would accept them as heros, or shun them like the science experiments that they were. But no matter the outcome they had agreed to face how the world came at them together…as a squad they would get through it.

So he could understand their frustration when he told them he had been piloting with someone else. To them the idea of piloting with someone outside of their squad was unthinkable! They all knew that their place in the world was with each other…except for him. He no longer had a place with them now that he couldn't pilot the Mark Twos. He had found a new place…by her side. Even if he could no longer pilot with her he still longed to be with her.

X007 carefully looked into the confused and frustrated eyes of his squad mates. But how could he possibly tell them something like that?

"Well?" X010s question quickly brought his thoughts to a halt.

"She WAS my partner" X007 emphasized "But that's over now ok?"

"Not good enough, if she WAS your partner then why were you put together in the first place?" X001 demanded.

"Those details don't matter"

"Like Hell they don't!" X004 spat.

X007 was completely taken aback by this. He had never seen X004 like this before. Looking into the eyes of each of his squad mates he could see their anger and confusion, but he could also see that they were hurting. Losing squad mates was hard on them. Losing someone like X005 was devastating enough, then to have another member be whisked away only a few days later and to have no answer why really rubbed salt in the wound.

His eyes finally meet with X009. She was a nervous wreck her eyes brimming with tears she was earnestly trying to hold back. They deserved to know…even if it hurt them they deserved to know what had happened and exactly how he felt.

X007 could feel the nervousness swirling around in his stomach. His hands tightened into fists as he resisted the urge to vomit right then and there. They were all standing there eyes locked on him waiting for their answer. The silence was suffocating…

"We were partnered together because after losing X005 I couldn't pilot a Mark Two. They wanted to see if I could pilot with her and still make myself of some use, simple as that."

"Well if they wanted you to have a new partner then why couldn't she just come and train with us? Why did they have to take you away?" X009 questioned him quietly.

"They weren't trying to find me a new partner X009, they were trying to find a new partner for her. It was only fair to pull me away and not vice versa."

"Well why did it have to be you?"

"They have been having trouble keeping a partner for her. With X005 gone I was available and they wanted to see if my genetically modified body would make me compatible."

"Why would they need to know if your modifications would help? Why is it so hard to pilot with her?" X009s nervousness leaving her with each question she asked.

"She's like us…she's different. No one else is like her."

"That would explain why she is in a place like this." X001 observed.

"Were you compatible?" X010 asked.

"Sort of…"

"Sort of?" She placed a hand on her hip. X007 could tell she was not satisfied with that answer.

"I lasted longer than anyone else. But in the end it was obvious I still couldn't pilot with her so they suspended me."

"Well what happened? What do you mean you lasted longer than anyone else?" X004 was now prying for answers as well but his tone was much softer than before.

"It's really nothing. I just wasn't compatible like they hoped!" X007 forced out a convincing smile. Praying this would be enough to satisfy them.

"Cut the shit!" X001 snapped "You're an absolute wreck. You think I haven't noticed that you're struggling just to stand there and talk to us? What the hell happened to you?"

X001 was right of course, he was a wreck. He obviously wasn't hiding his current physical state as well as he thought.

"X007" X009 stammered "What…what happened to the others?"

X007 hung his head "They…" his voice felt so weak he struggled to find the strength to force out the words. "They…died"

 _Silence_

X007 slowly looked up to face his squad mates, the atmosphere had completely changed from before. The looks of anger he had been receiving only a moment before had been replaced with eyes full of concern.

"So they suspended you because you almost…died?" X010 asked, concern leaking its way into her voice.

"Yeah…"

X007 could feel his heart sinking. He had been trying with everything in him to not admit this to himself. And yet here he was admitting to the others that he had failed. He had found another place for himself in the world…and lost it too. But despite this fact he knew he had to find her. To once again stand by her side even if it killed him, he needed to keep his promise after all…

But how would he be able to explain that to them? They now looked at him like he was a wounded animal, a victim of unfortunate circumstance. But that couldn't be any farther from the truth! He had loved spending the last 6 months with her, they truly understood one other! They both knew what it was like to be different from the rest of the world. She was full of life; he couldn't help but be happy when she was around. When she smiled at him his world was complete, that wonderful smile had made his nightmares go away. They would never understand how he felt he was sure of that, and yet he knew he needed to tell them.

"So what happens now?" X004 questioned breaking the silence. "If you can't pilot with us, and you have been suspended from piloting with her…what are you going to do?"

X007 took a deep breath and readied himself for the reaction his answer was sure to get. "Well…I…"

"What is going on over here!?" A deep voice thundered across the training area, cutting of any chance of X007 answering his squad mates. The voice belonged to the man in charge of the parasites training. None of them knew his real name as they had been instructed to only call him "Captain." The Captain was a sort stocky man with a by the book no nonsense attitude. He had been assigned to the parasites of project X with one job…get results. And that's exactly what he did, he may have been strict and harsh on them but even the parasites couldn't deny the fact that their training exceled when he was around.

He slowly made his way over to the parasites his brown eyes glaring at them from under the brim of his military hat. As he made his way closer he focused his attention solely on X007.

"Ahhhh X007 glad to see you ready for training with the rest of your squad mates, I was afraid instead of showing up for training you might have run off and done something….rash" The Captain chimed an evil smile crossing his face.

X007 bit his tongue. The guard from earlier must have told the Captain what he had caught him trying to do. Regardless he put on his best poker face in an attempt to feign his innocence.

"Of course not Captain. I was told I was scheduled to train with my squad mates so of course I wanted to make sure I was ready and waiting for your arrival." X007 spat out quickly trying to keep his voice as even as possible.

"Is that so?" The Captain replied the look in his eyes telling X007 he knew it was a lie. "Well I certainly appreciate your punctuality X007. And I was truly looking forward to pushing you to your breaking point during training today. But unfortunately there has been a change in your schedule. You are to be confined to your quarters until further notice…direct orders from Papa."

"What!?" X007 exclaimed eyes wide with the news he had just been delivered.

"A decision is being made on what to do with you X007, and until then you are to be confined."

"But Captain why can't he at least train with us? Especially if you are keeping an eye on him!" X009 pleaded.

The Captain slowly turned his eyes to X009. They rest of the parasites tensed; they knew she had just made a terrible mistake.

"I'm sorry was I speaking to you X009?"

"No Captain…"

"Then shut the hell up!" he bellowed. "You've obviously forgotten who exactly is in charge around here…don't worry I will make sure to remind you today during training."

"Captain don't, she just made a mistake." X007 argued.

The Captain turned his gaze back to X007 his eyes furious with the fact X007 dared argue with him.

"You're on thin enough ice as it is X007, I suggest you shut your mouth before you say something you regret."

They stood there for a moment the tense silence tearing its way throughout their small group.

"Anything else to say X007?"

"No Captain."

"Good! Then get to your room someone will come to get you once a decision has been made. As for the rest of you get yourselves on the training floor now!"

"Yes Captain!" They barked in unison.

X007 turned to make his way to his room shaken to his core at what he had just been told. He had thought that his suspension had only been from piloting with her, he had no clue that they meant he had been suspended from training with his squad mates as well.

His mind was racing as he made his way through the facility. If he can't pilot with her then did they really no longer have any use for him? Had Papa and the others decided that he truly did not have a place here any longer? If all of this was true then what would they do with him? With everything going on he had never thought about what they might do if he turned out to be a failure, would they let him stay here? Would they even allow him to live? Questions he had never considered before began to rush through his mind, no idea what might happen to him next.

Once arriving at the door to his room he reached out his hand to open it. Suddenly he felt his body go weak, his hands began to tremble as sweat began to bead its way down his body. Frozen still with fear he could hear his own heartbeat steadily increasing as adrenaline slowly began to make his way into his body. He had come to one simple conclusion…this was no temporary suspension. This was the end of the line for him…

Out of instinct he flipped the switch to open his door and stepped inside and allowed the door to slide shut behind him.

 _Click_

He froze. That tiny metallic click no louder than a pen hitting the floor sounded like a gunshot in his ears, its echo continuing to play in his mind over and over in the eerie silence of his room. _Click…Click…Click_

It was the sound of his door locking behind him, the sound that proved his suspicions, the sound that sealed his fate…

He sat on his bed in stunned silence. He was trapped, even with his increased strength he knew he would not be able to get that door back open. As much as he hated to admit it he was trapped in here until someone either decided to come for him, or until he died. He knew he could do nothing but wait, he knew there would be no way he could sleep tonight, but the idea of staying up alone with his thoughts frightened immensely. Sitting alone in the dark room wondering what his fate might be, exhaustion finally took over and his body slumped over onto the bed for a night filled with nightmares.

 _Swoooossshhhh!_

The sound awoke him with a start, his heart racing he leapt out of the bed still seeing the images of his nightmares in his mind's eye, the screams still deafening in his ears. As his feet made contact with the ground his legs crumpled underneath him leaving him barely able to support himself in a kneeling position.

"Easy there X007. Try to calm down ok?"

X007 froze, he had heard this voice only a few times before but he knew exactly who it belonged to. Bringing his gaze up he found himself face to face with none other than Dr. Franxx himself. Gathering up his strength X007 slowly brought himself to a standing position.

"Ah I am always impressed by how quickly you children grow"

"What are you doing here Dr?" X007 softly asked. He had only met Dr. Franxx a few times in his life and quite frankly he had always been a mystery to X007. He knew that he was the creator of the Franxx and the Mark Twos, and that he was also the mastermind behind the serum he had his squad mates had been injected with. Sometimes he would want to conduct testing personally on the parasites but he rarely spoke to them during the process and when he did it was always questions that were related to information he needed for the test. But on the flip side the Dr. had always treated them kindly, and had personally tried to save X005. So in X007s book he was alright…for now anyway.

"Well to conduct tests of course!" Dr. Franxx replied

"What kind of tests? What are they for?"

"The kind of tests to decide what we are going to do with you X007." The doctors voice trailing off at the end.

X007 felt his heart jump in his chest, so they hadn't decided what to do with him yet! There was still a chance! A chance for him to make his way back to her side!

"Well come on now don't just stand there gawking at me. Get your suit on so we can get started." The Dr. scolded.

"Yes of course sorry!"

X007 raced over to his closet and quickly put on his parasite suit. His body still pained him with every move but he pushed past it. He was now filled with new hope. His heart brimmed with excitement at the thought of seeing her once again! Once his suit was on he turned to follow the Dr. and his accompanying guards down the hallway with new found determination.

 _Beep…Beep…Beep_

X007 stared at his pulse flashing on the screen. He had been hooked to these machines for hours while the Dr. steadily observed all of his readings occasionally making a note or two. X007 could feel himself getting restless, he knew the tests were necessary but his patience was growing thin. All he could think about was talking to her, letting her know he was going to keep his promise. He wanted desperately to be back in the place that he belonged.

"Alright that's enough for now." Dr. Franxx stated as he began shutting down the machines. "I think I have seen everything I need."

X007 unhooked himself and stood in the room watching the Dr. slowly shut down each machine.

"Gosh can this old man move any slower!" the thought shouting its way through his mind as he bit his tongue to refrain from shouting it out loud.

Finally once the Dr. had finished shutting down the rest of the machines X007 could no longer contain himself.

"Well?" X007 demanded.

Without turning to look at him the Dr. simply said "Come with me." And left the room and began making his way down the hallway.

X007 stood there slightly puzzled unsure of what to do. This was not an answer he expected at all.

"Well come on!" the Dr. shouted from the hallway.

X007 quickly brought himself back into focus leaving the medical room with a quick jog he quickly caught up to the Dr. his guards slowed their pace slightly to maneuver themselves behind X007.

As they made their way down the blank halls of the facility X007 was bursting with questions for the Dr. But he decided to wait and see where he was being lead first. Besides they were coming up on the hallway in which they would need to turn to be on her side of the facility.

X007 held his breath as they approached the intersection, hoping with everything in him the Dr. would turn left and lead him through the gate and back to her. But as they passed this opportunity by X007 could feel himself begin to grow nervous…if he wasn't taking him to her…then where was he taking him?

Sticking to the same path that X007 had taken the day before they quickly found themselves making their way across the catwalk in the Mark Two hangar bay. As they made their way across the dimly lit hangar the Dr. stopped to inspect the damaged railing.

"Was this you X007?"

X007 had been completely lost in his own thoughts and was caught off guard by Dr. Franxx question.

"I'm sorry what?"

Dr. Franxx tapped the railing with his cane.

"Did you do this X007?"

"Oh…yeah that was me…" his voice trailing off as he remembered the events of the day before, and the feelings that had come with it.

"Incredible…" the Dr. whispered. He then took a quick look at his own creations the Mark Twos. "How unfortunate there are so few of you children left…"

X007 carefully studied Dr. Franxx and his words. Was he saddened by this fact? Was he upset that his own project seemed to be failing? Or was he possibly concerned about the children's side effects? Before X007 could come to a conclusion about what the Dr. meant by his words Dr. Frannx began making his way along the catwalk once more.

As they made their way out of the hangar X007 was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread. He knew exactly which section of the facility was next. As they passed the training area, X007 took a quick look out onto the floor. There he saw his squad mates ready for their daily training session. However at this moment none of them were training they were all just standing there in silence watching him pass. Talking to them yesterday for the first time in months had been a stressful situation. They all had so many questions, and now he was sure they were going to have many, many more.

"Dr. where are you taking me?" X007 demanded as they made their way past the training area. They were starting to make their way to the outer edge of the facility, he knew this place like the back of his hand and he was starting to run out of viable options the Dr. may have in mind.

"Patience" Was all Dr. Franxx said in return, not even looking back to acknowledge X007.

"Easy for you to say, you know exactly where we are going." X007 mumbled back.

Steadily making their way towards the outer edge of the facility X007 was steadily beginning to lose his nerve. The excitement and determination he had felt earlier about getting back to her had been replaced with anxiety and confusion about what his fate would truly be.

As Dr. Franxx led them around another corner X007 felt his chest tighten as his mind began to race. He knew exactly where they were heading now. There was only one option past this point, but why would the Dr. take him there? What purpose could he have? X007 racked his brain trying to figure what use Dr. Franxx could possibly have for him there, however nothing came to mind so he decided he would hold out just a little bit longer to find out what Dr. Franxx reasoning would be. He did his best to hide the nervousness that was slowly gripping his body as they finally stepped out onto the transport bay.

The transport bay was where ships came in and out of the facility to bring in supplies; it wasn't extremely large, just big enough to hold a Franxx transport vessel. But right now there was only a small private ship large enough to carry about 5 passengers. It was obviously how Dr. Franxx had arrived at the facility…and how he was going to leave.

X007 stopped in his tracks. The slight breeze coming from the open door of the transport bay was refreshing. It had been a while since he had breathed in the fresh warm air from the outside world. The feeling of the breeze flowing across his skin took him back to a wonderful moment. He had met her for the first time right here in the transport bay. He smiled to himself as he recalled her silky pink hair flowing ever so softly in the breeze as she made her way across the transport bay, swirling a lollipop around in her mouth her eyes peeking out from under the brim of her hat seemingly uninterested in everything going on around her. X007 recalled how he became transfixed by her as she made her way over to him, she seemed so strong…so confident. As they approached, Dr. Franxx gave a brief introduction, but all X007 really remembered from it was her code number, 002. He was too busy studying her to remember much else about what Dr. Franxx had said that day.

Without saying a word she quickly went up on her toes her face level with his and gave him a quick sniff, breaking him from his trance. He took a small step back not knowing how to handle this sudden change of events.

She looked him over quickly and settled back down; pulling her lollipop out of her mouth and pointing to X007 with it she gave Dr Fanxx a quick look.

"Are you sure about him? He doesn't seem like much."

"Yes I am sure." Dr. Franxx replied "He is not like the other stamen you have piloted with…he is…different."

"Different huh?" She looked back to X007 her eyes now full of interest. "Well then you're just like me." She stated giving him a full smile.

"Quit day dreaming X007, keep moving!" The guard's voice bringing him back to the present day, a small smile found its way across X007s face as he recalled their first meeting. It was strange how the exchange of a few words and a smile eventually led to the relationship they had today. Not knowing how to act around her he reverted back to his old ways. He had tried to keep their relationship professional, always referring to her as 002. His heart warmed at the memory of the day she turned to face him with a big smile spread across her face to tell him to stop being so serious and dull all the time. And to simply call her Zero Two, she actually preferred it that way. That moment was so significant for him and that small request meant more to him than she may ever know. They were both so different from all the other parasites outside of Project X and they truly understood the weight that this fact carried with it. They each truly understood how the other felt, and more than anyone else they understood the pain they had both endured to get to where they were today. They had come to trust and rely on each other completely, something he had struggled to do even with his squad mates. He had really believed he would never find something like this again after losing X005. But once Zero Two came into his life things truly started looking up. Her infectious playful personality could always brighten his day even in the darkest of times. And he truly believed that when she smiled at him the whole world shone a little brighter. She had really become the light of his world…and he wasn't going to let go of that without a fight.

"Dr. Franxx I am not taking another step until you explain what you plan to do with me."

"Please X007, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"I mean it Dr." X007 responded coldly with fierce determination in his eyes.

Dr. Fanxx breathed a tired sigh and turned around to face him. "You didn't pass the tests X007."

"Yeah I have pretty much figured that out by now" X007 scoffed back "So now what's the plan?"

"I intended to take you back with me for further testing. The equipment here is limited and I am not able to run all the tests I need."

"So you really intend to take me back and stick me in some lab for testing? Like I am some sort of lab rat?"

"That's a very simple way of putting it."

X007 cut him of "That's the only way of putting it Dr."

"I know it doesn't sound ideal, but the results from these test could really benefit your squad mates. We could possibly figure out a solution to their condition. Not to mention all the others you could help down the line."

"If you really want me to help my squad mates let me stay here with them. Let me train with them! Let me…pilot."

A look of sadness washed over Dr. Franxx face. "You know you can't do that. You need a partner to pilot a Mark Two and X005 is gone…I'm sorry."

"You know what I mean" anger starting to find its way into X007s voice. "Let me pilot with Zero Two."

"That's not happening, the decision was made to separate you two and that decision is final."

"Then change your decision!"

"I'm not the one who made that decision!" Dr. Franxx snapped as he slammed the end of his cane into the floor. "Honestly you should just be grateful you're not dead!"

"What do you mean you didn't make the decision? Who are you trying to fool? You're the one who makes ALL the decisions! You decided to give us those damn injections! You decided to stick us in the Mark Twos! You decided to bring the two of us together! You…" X007 stopped himself short when he noticed Dr. Franxx was no longer paying attention to him his eyes focused elsewhere. X007 followed Dr. Franxx gaze over to the control room that overlooked the hangar. And in that moment X007 felt his heart skip a beat, for him time was completely standing still. She was there…standing in the control room looking down watching them.

As their eyes meet X007 stood frozen in place as if he had been put under a spell. He wanted to be happy that she was here…but there was so much sadness in her eyes. Had she been told what was going on? Was she simply just sad to see him go? Or was she disappointed that he had not been able to keep his promise? Either way he desperately did not want to be the reason for the sadness in the girl he saw standing there.

X007 turned his attention back to the Dr. "Let me go talk to her…please" his voice breaking, all of the anger in his voice was gone, he was simply begging for the chance.

"I'm sorry X007 I cannot allow it."

"Please! I made her a promise. I just need to talk to her for a minute."

"No X007…she understands the situation better than you know. You will just have to trust me on that. Now please let's get going."

"Dr. can you please just talk to whoever made the decision to suspend me?" X007 pleaded fists clenched eyes glaring down at the floor. "Don't they understand that it means I'll be taken away from everyone? Taken away from her? I don't want that! I would rather die than just be taken away!"

Dr. Franxx took another deep tired breath and looked at the young man before him and back to the girl up in the control room. They truly did go well together he thought. They were both just so passionate. If it had been up to him he would have let them continue to pilot until X007s body finally gave out. However that decision was not up to him…he had also made a promise. And it was time for him to hold up his end. It was time for him to convince X007 to leave the facility and Zero Two behind.

"It's not that simple X007!" Dr. Franxx finally snapped at him. "You think this entire thing is all because you can't pilot? That's only part of the problem! I am truly sorry about X005 and that you have no partner to pilot a Mark Two with. But do you know why you were suspended from piloting with Zero Two? Of course you do! I'm sure you can feel it even now, you were DYING X007 and that's why the decision was made to pull you out!"

"But…"

"I'm not finished!" Dr. Franxx continued pointing his cane accusingly at X007. "But that's the only part you think about! Have you ever considered what kind of distraction you are to the others? How you being involved without really being able to contribute might affect them? I'm sorry X007 but the fact is you are no longer a part of any team. You are an outlier you do not have a purpose here anymore. Do you understand what I am telling you? You are being removed because you no longer belong here!"

X007 stood there wide eyed the Dr.'s words stunning him into silence. He was right about his suspension of course. Even now he felt the soreness in his body as he recovered from his last piloting session. And maybe Dr. Franxx was right about him being a distraction to the others, and that he was no longer part of the team. But the Dr. was wrong about one thing. He had found a place where he belonged and he had no intentions of giving that up.

He opened his mouth to argue once more, but was interrupted by the sudden blaring of a siren accompanied with red flashing lights. He began to look around frantically. What was happening? The entire time he had been here nothing like this had ever happened!

"Quickly Dr. we must go now!" One of the guards ordered.

Dr. Franxx raised a hand to stop him. "No, it's too late for that now. We must deal with this issue first."

"How can the Dr. be so calm at a time like this" X007 wondered as the bay doors began to seal itself shut. "He must know what is going on!"

X007 looked up at the control tower however Zero Two was already gone. He had thought maybe he could take advantage of the chaos and try to make a quick escape to go and see her…but the opportunity had passed him by.

"Dr. what is happening!?" X007 screamed doing his best to be heard over the deafening siren.

"It's a klaxosaur attack!" Dr. Franxx yelled back at him.

X007 felt his body grow cold he eyes now wide with fear as he tried to process what he had just been told. They had never had a klaxosaur attack at the facility. It was too small and used such little magma energy during its operation that they believed they could go under the radar of klaxosaur detection. Because of this reason the facility was not properly armed with the defenses needed to handle anything to large.

"Why would one attack here?" X007 questioned Dr. Franxx

"I do not know! But we can worry about that later! First we need to get to the command center and assess our situation!"

"Right!" X007 agreed as he gave Dr. Franxx a quick nod. They were on the same page…for the moment.

As their small group raced down the multiple hallways that led to the command center complete chaos ensued around them. Guards sprinting down the halls passed them to get to their designated defensive positions while those in command barked orders left and right. The red flashing lights disorienting him as he ran down the hallway, doors automatically sealing shut causing them to change their current course more than once, it was complete madness! But the only thing on X007s mind was where was Zero Two at in all of this mess?

Reaching the command center before Dr. Franxx and his guards X007 threw open the door and barged straight into the room. It was a small room with one section of the room slightly higher than the other. The main display was on a control panel on the lower half of the room. The Captain and a few of his close advisors were down there looking at the monitor while X007s squad mates stood on the upper half.

"Hey X007! Glad to see you made it!" X004 welcomed him cheerily.

X009 nodded her head in agreement "Yes we were beginning to worry maybe something had happened to you when the sirens started going off."

X004 moved over closer to him "So what was up with us seeing you with Dr. Franxx earlier?" he spoke softly so that the others wouldn't hear. X007 assumed he was trying not to get X009 worked up while everything else was going on.

"It's nothing, we can talk about it after all this is over."

X004 simply nodded his head in agreement.

X007 quickly glanced over at X001 and X010. X001 simply gave him a look to acknowledge the fact he knew X007 was in the room and X010 was so focused on the large screen in the room she seemed oblivious to anything else.

He was grateful that they were all here and safe, but as soon as he had entered to room he had noticed that Zero Two wasn't there. Where the hell was she? Wouldn't they want to try and move her to the command center too?

"What's the status Captain?"

X007 looked over to see that Dr. Franxx was now standing in the doorway.

"Bout time you got here." The Captain sneered.

Dr. Franxx let out a small laugh as he made his was over next to the Captain. "Well some of us struggle to keep up with the younger generation I suppose."

"So how bad is it?" Dr. Franxx asked his voice becoming unnervingly serious.

"Well it's a Moho class if that's what you're asking." The Captain answered his eyes not leaving the screen.

X007 turned his attention to the screen as the Captain spoke. Displayed there was a large spider like creature slowly moving its way closer to the facility. Small explosions appearing on its body as the few cannons they did have hit their mark.

The Captain continued. "Due to this fact, our cannons are ineffective, and it will be on top of the facility in a matter of minutes."

"I see." Dr. Franxx responded switching over to a few different video feeds to try and get a better view.

X007 heard a small gasp over to his left, as he turned his head to find its source he noticed X009 eyes wide with fear slightly shaking, she was not taking any of this well. X004 went to put a comforting arm around her and began to talk to her in an attempt to calm her down.

X007 could feel himself starting to grow impatient and slightly worried. Zero Two should have been here by now. Enough time had passed that no matter where she was at in the facility she should have been able to make it there. Something must have happened to her! He had to go find her!

As he turned to make his way toward the door, a voice rang out through the room stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Send us in!"

He didn't need to turn around to know the voice belonged to X001.

"Excuse me?" asked the Captain.

"I said send us in!"

X007 turned to see X001 standing tall out in front of his squad mates, a fierce determination in his one good eye.

"Absolutely not!" the Captain barked back. "The only one who has seen any real combat is X007 and he is under suspension. None of you are ready for something like this."

At this news all of X007s squad mates turned to face him, the looks in their eyes a combination of shock and mistrust. The Captain was right, while he had been piloting with Zero Two for the last 6 months they had been sent out on small missions, 6 in total to help out close by plantations. Even if they were just tests to see if he could survive being her partner it didn't change the fact he had seen live combat before any of his squad mates. A fact he had never planned on sharing with them since they had all been told not long before he was separated from them they were too young to pilot in actual combat. He quickly averted his eyes unable to stand the glares being directed at him.

X001 recovered from the shocking news quicker than the others and went back to arguing with the Captain.

"At this point it doesn't matter if we are ready. You said yourself that the cannons can't stop this thing. The way I see it we are your only option!"

The Captain let out a small sigh and shook his head. "I appreciate your willingness to get into the fight. But there are other options X001."

"But…" X001 began to continue.

"Enough X001. You're not going anywhere." The Captain ordered as he turned back to Dr. Franxx. "We need to send her in Dr."

Dr. Franxx stared at the display in silence lost in thought.

X007 looked back to see X001 hang his head silently in defeat. X007 looked to the others for a response but at the moment they were all ignoring him but he could see the anger written all over their faces. For a moment he thought maybe it was better this way. Maybe things would be easier on them if they did hate him. He was going to have to leave them after all…one way or another.

"Doctor!" The Captain exclaimed trying to get his attention.

"Yes I understand." responded softly. "Do what you must."

The Captain pressed a button on the control panel and spoke quickly into the speaker. "We have the green light. Send her in."

"Yes sir!" replied a voice on the other end.

X007 stood their momentarily confused. X001 was right, at the moment he and X007s other squad mates were their best chance. Inexperienced or not they stood a better chance of taking the klaxosaur down than the cannons did. Who in the world could they possibly be sending that could do a better job than that?

"Sir we have movement on the radar, she is engaging the target!" One of the Captains advisors blurted out quickly.

X007s eyes widened as he looked at the display and realized exactly who they were sending into battle.

He could see Zero Twos Franxx Strelizia on the display charging straight at the attacking klaxosaur. Everyone in the room watched in silence as the red and white lion shaped Franxx quickly closed the distance between it and the target its four legs pushing hard to reach the klaxosaur before it could make it to the facility, its spear like tail twitching with anticipation for the upcoming fight.

X007 could feel a hot anger beginning to rise up within him. She was in stampede mode, which meant they had sent Zero Two into battle alone…without a partner. He knew this wasn't her first time fighting alone, she had lost stamen in the middle of a fight before and had to continue on anyway. But this was different. This time she didn't HAVE to be alone, he was here and had made it completely clear he wanted to be her partner.

Everyone in the room gave a small cheer as Strelizia slammed into the klaxosaur at full speed knocking it off balance. Zero Two took the opportunity to jump onto its back and pierce its body with Strelizias tail. The klaxosaur let out a roar of pain as Strelizia aimed for a different spot and impaled it once more. As X007 observed the action taking place he began to grit his teeth with frustration. He knew that she was looking for the core, if she could pierce that then she would kill it. But with something that large it would be no easy find, and while in stampede mode her movements and power were limited, this would be no easy task.

The klaxosaur let out another deafening roar and arched its back bucking Strelizia off. The Franxx pivoted in the air, performing a backflip, and landed firmly on its feet crouching low ready to pounce. Strelizia now had the klaxosaurs full attention; there would be no more surprise attacks…the real fight was on.

Stewing with anger about the decision that had been made X007 still couldn't help but be impressed with the scene in front of him. Strelizia's movements were perfect, the Franxx body twisted and turned as it gracefully evaded attack after attack waiting for an opportunity to strike back. All of this made even more impressive by the fact that just like him Zero Two was still a few years from considered being the "standard age" to pilot a Franxx in combat. However including the 6 months she had piloted with him Zero Two had already been piloting for nearly a year. Watching her display of skill on screen it was obvious she was anything but "Standard."

X004 was the first to break the tense silence. "So that's the girl you were piloting with?"

"Yeah" X007 responded with a slight nod.

"And she can pilot all by herself? I didn't think that was possible." X009 said in awe.

"You weren't kidding when you said she was different." X010 stated eyes focused on the screen.

They were all watching so intently trying to take in every detail of what was happening in the fight. Things in the room were still tense but X007 was glad they were talking again even if only for a moment.

X007 turned his attention back to the display just in time to see Zero Two counter again. The klaxosaur had slowed its attack for only a moment but it was enough of a pause for Zero Two to take advantage. Darting in-between its legs she got underneath the beast and speared it once more with Strelizias tail. As the klaxosaur bellowed in anguish everyone in the room but X007 let out a victorious cheer.

X007 clenched his fists trying to hold back his still simmering anger. He should be happy that Zero Two had now taken the advantage over the klaxosaur. But honestly all he could think about was how they had sent her out there to fight alone. During their time together X007 had learned how much Zero Two feared being alone. And worse she was forced to face that fear daily, Zero Two had told him early on that she was always alone due to the fact that she was…different.

"Noooo" The Captain screamed as he slammed his hands into the console.

This sudden outburst shook X007 and caused him to regain the focus on the monitor he had lost while wandering around in his own thoughts. His eyes widened at the realization of what was happening, adrenaline mixed with anger and fear began to course its way through his body causing his heart rate to increase.

Strelizia was now on the ground trapped in some sort of webbing the klaxosaur had obviously shot at her. The Franxx squirmed and thrashed about doing its best to free itself from the trap, but its struggle seemed to be in vain. No matter how hard Strelizia struggled it was making no progress on escaping the webbing. The klaxosaur wasted no time attacking its prey striking it over and over with its legs. Strelizia howled in pain as it was mercilessly struck over and over again. The sound of that howl made X007s body go limp as all the strength left his body while he simply stared in disbelief at the monitor in front of him.

"Lets us help her!" X001 begged

"No!" The Captain snapped back in response.

"If we do not help her she will die! We will all die!" X001 shouted as he turned starting to make his way to the door.

"Guards! The door." The Captain ordered.

In that moment the two guards stepped in front of the door weapons raised at X001.

"Captain!"

"Enough X001!" The Captain barked "You are not going anywhere! She is on her own!"

"On her own huh?" X007 silently thought to himself still staring at the screen in disbelief. The Captains words took him back to he and Zero Twos final conversation, the reason he had tried to find her.

It was right after their final mission both still sitting in the cockpit of Strelizia. X007s breath was ragged every muscle in his body on fire. His condition had steadily been getting worse with each successful mission but he had been trying to hide it, he desperately did not want to worry Zero Two. But this time there was no hiding it. He barely had the strength to sit upright in the chair his condition was obvious, if he piloted with her much more he was going to die…just like the others. They sat there in silence for what felt like ages the only sound being X007 as he struggled to breath. Finally Zero Two turned to face him. Tears starting to form in her eyes, the sadness written all over her face broke his heart even now.

"Guess you have to leave me now too huh?"

Her question was like a sword driven straight through his already struggling heart. The thought of leaving her was too much for him to handle. His place was by her side and he had no intentions of changing that.

"What kind of question is that?" he replied doing his best to give her a smile.

A quick look of surprise shot across her face. This was obviously not a response she expected.

"My place is by your side Zero Two I'm not going anywhere. As long as I am around you will never have to fight alone again…that's a promise" mustering up every bit of strength he had left to give her a quick wink.

"Ok then it's a promise." She replied tears slowly making their way down her face as she flashed him a caring smile.

Another howl of pain from Strelizia brought X007s attention back to the present. "No shes not on her own, not while I am still standing" X007 clenched his fists, eyes filled with determination.

He moved quickly closing the distance between him and the guards. His right hand shot out and raised the barrel of the first guard's weapon, slamming himself full speed into the guard pinning him to the wall. Without hesitation he dropped low and spun on the ball of his foot, performing a perfectly placed kick to the diaphragm of the second guard sending him flying in the opposite direction.

The Captain shouted "X007!"

But it was too late, X007 was already out the door and running down the hallway at a full sprint. His genetic mods and combat training had made taking out the guards almost too easy. Unfortunately for him that was the easy part of his plan but right now he didn't care. He was either going to rescue Zero Two…or Die trying.

As he made his way through the various hallways of the facility urging his legs to carry him faster and faster he could only hope he had not waited too long to make his decision. As he rounded one of the final corners before reaching his destination he could see more guards in the hallway. Thankfully they seemed less concerned with him and more concerned with moving shells for the cannons. As he got closer one guard noticed him approaching.

"Hey what are you…"

He didn't have time to get out anything else, right before X007 reached him he made a quick leap pivoting slightly in the air placing his hand on the guards shoulder and used him as a springboard finishing his flip past the guard. Landing lightly X007 took advantage of the momentum generated and sprung off trying to keep as much speed as possible he slid under a container of shells being carried by two other guards, and continued on his way without missing a beat.

"Come on! Come on!" he urged himself "Almost there!" He could see the opening at the end of the hallway. Thankfully he was still wearing his parasite suit from the testing with Dr. Franxx because past that opening were the Mark Twos.

Making his way into the dimly lit bay X007 wasted no time running up to the closest Mark Two and flipping the emergency release switch to its cockpit. There was a slight hissing sound as it began to open. He took a quick look over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him. The last thing he needed right now was one of his squad mates trying to stop him, the guards may have been no match for him, but one of them would be a different story.

The cockpit took only moments to open, but to X007 it was an eternity. Every second he wasted here was another second Zero Two was alone out there. Once the cockpit was open X007 hopped inside and hit the button to close it back down. He walked over to the stamens position and slid his hands into the gauntlets. As the inside of the cockpit began to light up he felt a slight nervousness wash over him. This way by far the craziest thing he had ever done. And the odds of dying by trying to pilot the Mark Two by himself were very…very high. But he didn't care. Being with Zero Two again was worth that chance, and she needed him now more than ever.

As X007 began to try and start up the Mark Two all on his own several warnings began to appear within the cockpit. And a robotic female voice chimed in "Warning solo pilot startup verified, safety protocol engaging startup denied."

X007 took a deep breath "OVERRIDE!" he screamed as hard as his voice and lungs would allow.

"Override command authorized. Mark Two starting up in limited mode."

X007 steadied as the Mark Two came to life. He knew that piloting solo would limit the functions of the Mark Two but it didn't matter he would have access to what he needed to fight.

"Startup Complete."

AHHHHHHHHH! X007 screamed in agony as the pressure of piloting the Mark Two alone took hold the gauntlets trying their best to pull themselves to the floor. The Mark Two was so much heavier than he remembered from his time piloting with X005. With everything in him he pulled the gauntlets back into place. His arms, shoulders and back begging him to stop but he couldn't quit…not now.

Slowly the Mark Two began to walk forward each step sending signals of fiery pain throughout his entire body. Suddenly a voice came over the com link.

"X007 you get out of that Franxx this instant! That is an order!"

A sly grin came across X007s face. "Goodbye Captain" he responded followed by shutting off the com link. His smile grew a little bigger, man he had always wanted to do that.

He then focused his attention back to the bay door in front of him. Drawing back his right arm and letting out another ferocious scream he punched the door clean off its hinges. Compared to the full power a Mark Two can generate it was a weak punch but it still shot pins of pain down his arm none the less.

Exiting the bay area into the outside world X007 quickly oriented himself in the direction of the battle. Being in limited mode meant he couldn't fly, but he put full power to the thrusters in the Mark Twos upper back and went skimming along the surface of the sand at a breakneck pace. As he drew closer to the fight he could began to understand how large the klaxosaur actually was. It was definitely on the larger end of the Moho class. How in the world were they supposed to take down something like that?

X007 quickly shook those thoughts from his mind as he got close enough to see Strelizia still trapped in the webbing on the ground barely moving. Signs of heavy damage littered the body of the Franxx.

"No! Am I too late?" X007 felt the pain in his body disappear, quickly replaced with a burning rage that fueled his body as he turned his attention back to the klaxosaur. With one final push he sent power to the lower thrusters sending him sailing through the air.

"You Bastard!" he screamed as he drew back his right arm once more and delivered all power he could muster as his punch made contact with the side of the klaxosaur sending it rolling across the sand.

The Mark Two came to a tumbling stop along the sand. As X007 went to make the Mark Two rise from its kneeling position excruciating pain shot through his right arm, as it dangled loosely by his side.

"Shit I broke it." He growled to himself. His right side was his strong side. Hitting the klaxosaur that hard without actually aiming for its core had been a dumb move. But he couldn't worry about that now. Zero Two needed him.

He began to slowly walk the Mark Two over to where she was, each step harder to take than the last as pain shot up through the soles of his feet and rose up all the way through his back, his body begging him to stop. He grit his teeth in an attempt muffle his grunts of agony. His legs buckled threating to give out on him with every step, but seeing Strelizias unmoving body gave him the motivation he needed to continue pushing forward trying to reach her side.

As he reached her he found it incredibly difficult to get his body to do anything. His legs shook barely able to support his weight, his right arm was broken and useless while his left arm seemed so heavy he was unsure if he would be able to force it to move. With each passing breath he was finding it more of a struggle to fill his lungs with oxygen. As he let out a small cough in an attempt to clear his airway he stared in disbelief at the blood that was now splattered along the cockpit floor. He had only been piloting for around 2 maybe 3 minutes tops. Had he really reached his limit already?

Standing there legs shaking barely able to stand. Unable to force his body to move he stood there listening to the sound of his own ragged breath. "I'm so sorry I didn't keep my promise. You were out here all alone because of me" he whispered to himself.

He took himself back to that moment in Strelizias cockpit remembering the smile she had given him as he promised she would never have to fight alone again. Just the thought of her smile warmed his heart even now. She had done so much for him in their time together…and now it was his turn. He wasn't going to let her down a second time. He was going to get her out of this! He was willing to give up everything to make sure she could share her smile with the world!

Using the last bit of his remaining strength he reached out the Mark Twos left arm and gave the webbing a quick tug. It was tough and strong, breaking it would be nearly impossible it would have to be cut. He instinctively went to reach for the sword strapped to the Mark Twos back, but the pain that radiated down his right arm quickly reminded him of his current situation. Taking a deep breath he let go of the webbing and began to reach for it with his left arm instead. But suddenly an alert popped up on the cockpit screen.

 **Attack Incoming!**

X007 turned to face the threat only catching a glimpse of the klaxosaur before it struck the Mark Two in the chest, the impact forcing a mixture of blood and air from his lungs as the Mark Two was sent sailing backwards.

The Mark Two landed flat on its back in the sand, the Franxx itself was fine, it was designed to take much harder hits than that, but X007 was a different story. Lying on his back in the cock pit fighting for each breath he took, blood slowly beginning to pour from the corner of his mouth. "Get up!" He thought to himself "Fight Back!" But it was no use his body wasn't listening to him anymore. All he could do was watch as the klaxosaur now loomed over top of him bringing its leg up to deliver its finishing blow. In what he believed was his final moment all he could do was think about how he had failed Zero Two for the second time. X007 closed his eyes as the klaxosaur delivered its fatal blow. But X007s world went black before he ever felt the impact.

 _X7!_

X007 heard a faint voice calling to him.

 _X7!_

Was he dead he wondered?

 _X7! Wake up!_

He could hear the voice growing louder. No wait he couldn't be dead, he knew that name…he knew that voice!

 _X7!_

X7 that was him! That was the name Zero Two had given him not long after they had been partnered up. That was her voice calling to him.

X007 felt his body jolt as he sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes to see Zero Two knelt above him her tears mixing with the caked blood on her face.

 _X7!_ She cried continuing to shake him.

"Zero….Two…" X007 responded, his voice raspy and weak.

Zero Two stopped shaking him her eyes wide and still filled with tears simply staring at him in disbelief.

X007 slowly removed his left arm from his gauntlet and reached up to cup her face, her pink hair lightly brushing the back of his hand. "So soft" he thought.

They stayed like this for a moment the light from the open cockpit cascading down upon them. He was so happy to see her, and glad to know that she was ok. Even if it was to be for the last time he wanted to cherish every second he was by her side…it was his special place in the world. And as much as he would have enjoyed staying like this forever there was no ignoring the fact that he was dying. He needed to tell her how much she meant to him, how much he had cherished their time together. He still had so many questions he wanted to ask her, he wanted to know everything he could about her. But with his voice still weak all he could get out was.

"I'm…sorry…"

A look of shock came across Zero Twos face. She quickly smacked his hand away from her.

"Shut Up!" she cried quickly pulling him into a warm embrace.

A small smile found its way across X007s face. Taking a deep breath as his world slowly faded back to black he could think of no place he would rather be than in the arms of the girl with the horns….


	3. Chapter 3: Time Heals All Wounds?

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

X007 slowly began to open his eyes confused by the steady beeping ringing in his ears. "Where am I?" he wondered. As his eyes began to focus and he could start to make out his surroundings through the haze. He looked to his left and saw the heart rate monitor periodically blipping across the screen. He followed the cable with his eyes from the monitor down to his left hand. He sat there confused staring at the small device clipped to his finger. Eventually the haze that gripped his mind slowly began to clear and the realization of his situation hit him like a swift punch in the gut. That was his pulse! He hadn't died after all! He thought back to the last thing he could remember. Zero Two holding him close, her soft hair touching his face. He felt a warm sensation come over him, if that was the last thing he had ever been able to experience…he would have been ok with that.

But somehow he had survived! He had seen Zero Two so she must be ok, and since he was laying here he could make the assumption that the Klaxosaur had obviously been dealt with. X007 could feel the tension leave his body as he started to relax. So everything had really worked out in the end, knowing that everyone was safe gave him a small sense of peace. But there was still one thing nagging him in the back of his mind. How had he survived? He knew going in that the odds of him living through his experience were extremely low. And yet somehow he had defied those odds. Something wasn't adding up, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what.

"Glad to see you are finally awake X007"

The voice startled him causing him to jump slightly in the bed sending burning pain coursing through his body. He looked over to see Dr. Franxx standing over next to the door resting slightly on his cane.

"Hello doctor" X007 replied back.

"How are you feeling today?" Dr. Franxx asked as he made his way over to X007s bed side.

X007 tried to sit up as the Dr. made his way over, but he received another dose of pain and his body collapsed back underneath him. "It feels like that Klaxosaur chewed me up and spit me out."

"Well it honestly just about did." Dr. Franxx leaned in and looked him over a little closer. "But considering the extent of your injuries you have healed up quite nicely over the last 3 days."

"3 days!" X007 exclaimed. Surely that was a mistake? 3 days….that didn't seem possible. The memories he had of him and Zero Two in the Mark Two cockpit felt as if they had only happened moments ago…

"Yes that's quite shocking to hear I am sure. But your injuries were extremely severe. I was honestly beginning to think you might not wake up at all."

Dr. Franxx took a short pause the only sound filling the room was the beeping and whirring of various machines.

"And X007…While I am happy to tell you that your injuries are no longer life threatening…your body still suffered an extreme amount of damage. Most notably was the injury to your right arm. I'm still not sure if you will ever be able use it properly again."

X007s eyes widened with shock as he looked down noticing for the first time that his arm was covered in a hard cast from his knuckles to half way up his bicep. His mind flashed back to the moment when he had punched the Klaxosaur in a fit of rage, desperately trying to knock it away from Zero Two. Even back then he knew it was a terrible idea. But he had fully been expecting to give his life in his effort to save her so what did it matter if he broke his arm in the process? The thought honestly hadn't crossed his mind that he might have to live with his poor decision.

Dr. Franxx continued "The impact was so hard that it shattered the bone in your forearm…even with your increased bone density. To make matters worse the broken bone fragments cut up the muscle structure of your forearm, with possible permanent damage to the nerves that are there. I did what I could for you, but at this point the rest of the healing is up to your body. I have no way of knowing how well it will heal up."

X007 sat staring at his cast in silence soaking in what Dr. Franxx was telling him.

"I should be dead. This was something I didn't think I would need to worry about" X007 mumbled softly.

"Yes you are absolutely right" Dr. Franxx responded in a very matter of fact tone.

"Then do you have any answers for why I am sitting here listening to you tell me my arm may never function the same again?"

A look of sadness washed over the doctor's tired face. "All I can say is you are very fortunate X007." With that statement Dr. Franxx began to make his way over to a small display to look over X007s vital signs.

X007 studied him closely. He couldn't help but feel like Dr. Franxx was hiding something from him. He wanted to press him for answers, but he had a request to make and he hoped that the doctor was currently feeling sorry for him and X007 didn't want to take the risk of upsetting him.

"Dr. Franxx" X007 called across the small room.

The Dr. looked up from his small display. "Yes?"

"I would like to speak with Zero Two…"

Dr. Franxx breathed a tired sigh. "I'm afraid that won't be possible."

"Doctor please listen…" X007 began to argue.

Dr. Franxx rose up a hand to stop him. "It's not possible because she has been moved elsewhere."

"Moved? What do you mean she was moved? Where did they take her?" X007 questioned Dr. Franxx, not even trying to hide the desperation in his voice. She couldn't be gone, not after everything that he had just been through…not after finally getting to see her again. X007 could hear the beeping of the heart rate monitor increasing as he awaited Dr. Franxx response.

"After recent events Papa decided that it was best to move Zero Two to a separate facility. He feels that you two are too much of a distraction for each other. He is afraid that if things were left as they were there could be undesired results."

X007 clenched his one good hand into a tight fist as a wave of anger washed over him. He was mostly mad at himself, but there was plenty of anger to go around for Dr. Franxx, Papa, and anyone else who was a part of the decision to move Zero Two. He had put his life on the line to save her! He was willing to risk everything just to be by her side! When he was with her he could be the person he truly wanted to be! And he was afraid of the person he might become without her…

"Calm yourself X007" Dr. Franxx said evenly "The stress is not good for your healing body."

Dr. Franxx comment brought X007s attention to the machines hooked to him. All of them beeping and buzzing at an alarming rate due to the stress his anger was putting on his body. He refused to let go of these emotions, but Dr. Franxx was right he needed to calm down for his own sake.

X007 took several deep breaths working to control his emotions and bring his vital readings down to an acceptable level. As he calmed Dr. Franxx made his way back over to the side of X007s bed.

"I understand you are angry X007 but being upset with yourself, me, or Papa will not fix anything…and holding on to that frustration will only lead to more problems. You may have survived this time X007, but if you do something rash like that again the outcome may not be the same. I know how you feel about Zero Two, and you have made your desires very clear." Dr. Franxx reached out a hand and placed it on X007s shoulder. "I know how badly you wish to be by her side, but maybe that's just not for the best….for either of you. If you really care about her X007 then maybe it is time to let her go…"

X007 could do nothing but stare back at Dr. Franxx in a stunned silence. Just let her go!? Was he insane!? Did he even know how hard he had been holding onto her? Trying to keep this wretched world from yet again tearing someone else he cared deeply for from his hands! It had already stolen X005 away…and he was sure his squad mates would no longer want anything to do with him. If he just let go of Zero Two…then what would he have?

Dr. Franxx removed his hand and began making his way over to the door. "I will give you some time to think over my advice. Besides I think it is about time to let the others know you are awake. They have been worried about you."

X007 opened his mouth to respond and tell Dr. Franxx not to bother, that his squad mates wouldn't want to see him anyway. But it was too late the doctor had already made his way through the door. So X007 sat alone in silence listening to the whirs and beeps of the machines that surrounded his bed mulling over the "advice" Dr. Franxx had given him.

 _Swooooosh_

X007 turned to see his squad mates standing in the doorway their eyes slowly making their way over him as if they were checking to see if he was really alive and awake before them. X009 was the first one to break the silence.

"Hey X007, is it ok if we come in? If you need more time to rest we can always come back later."

"No…no you all are fine…please come in." X007 stammered. He couldn't believe they were actually here to see him.

They all slowly made their way over to his side; a tense silence spread throughout the room leaving only the machines to make any noise. The moments of silence felt as if they would drag on for an eternity, finally X007 couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something…anything!

"So what happened out there? After the Klaxosaur knocked me down everything went black and I don't remember anything past that." That was a lie of course…but he wanted to keep him and Zero Twos little moment for himself.

"We stopped it." X001 stated simply, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Wait!? What!?" X007 exclaimed attempting to sit up slightly in his bed doing his best to ignore the pain radiating down his spine.

"I said we stopped it."

"Well I think I am going to need a little bit more information than that don't you think X001?" X007 asked doing his best to keep his voice even trying not to let the excitement mixed with nervousness show.

A large grin spread across X001s face as he began telling X007 about how they had helped stop the Klaxosaur. "After we saw you start up one of the Mark Twos I wasn't just going to sit around and watch from the sidelines. I ran out of the command center and I guess everyone else had the same idea because they decided to follow along."

X009 quickly interrupted the story "Sorry we didn't get to you sooner X007 but we didn't already have our suits on like you did. So we had to go put those on before we went to the Mark Twos."

X007 said nothing only giving a quick nod in understanding as he looked back to X001 waiting for him to continue. He wanted to know every detail about what had happened.

X001 continued from where X009 had left off. "Once we had changed into our parasite uniforms and got into the Franxx we made our way out onto the battle field. We got to you just in time to see the Klaxosaur strike you're Mark Two and send you sailing backwards."

"We were all so nervous when we didn't see you get up to retaliate." X004 chimed in running his fingers through his hair.

X007s mind raced back recalling how he was unable to make his body move in that moment. The only thing on his mind had been saving Zero Two. He had never really stopped to consider the fact that his squad mates had been watching the battle the whole time. And he never imagined they were on their way to help him. He had rushed out alone, without thinking about how any of it affected them at all. His heart began to sink in his chest…he felt so ashamed for doing that to them.

"And then what happened?" X007 asked softly

"We saved your ass that's what happened!" X010 shot back elbowing X001 in the arm and giving X007 a quick wink.

X001 simply rolled his eyes at her remark. "Right before the Klaxosaur hit you again me and X010 slammed our Mark Two into it full speed and were able to knock it back away from you."

"Exactly just like I said" X010 cut in again leaning over X007 "Saved…your…ass" she laughed slightly as she emphasized each word.

"Then me and X009 took the opportunity to race over to Zero Two and cut her free. Then we were all able to take on the Klaxosaur together. X001 and X010 were actually the ones who eventually pierced its core." X004 added.

It was coming back to him now. X007 could remember laying there helpless on the ground ready to accept his fate. He recalled the Klaxosaur rising up its arm to strike him one last time and finish him off. But now he knew why he never felt an impact before he blacked out for the first time…his squad mates had saved him.

"So you guys really beat the Klaxosaur?" X007 asked a slight awe in his voice.

"We sure did." X001 responded the smile he had earlier returning to his face.

X007 looked at each one of his squad mates. Each of them were standing tall and proud before him a smile across each of their faces. They had every right to be proud! Not only were they able to save him, but they also saved Zero Two and defeated a Moho class Klaxosaur all during their first taste of live combat. They had succeeded in everything he had failed to do. X007 felt his chest start to tighten slowly as he thought about what Dr. Franxx had told him a few days before. Maybe he really was just a distraction for them now…maybe he was useless.

"I'm so sorry." X007 apologized as he clenched his left fist in frustration. "I'm sorry that I ran off on my own and that you all put your lives at risk to not only help save the facility…but to save me too, it never should have come to that. I also know that you guys probably feel like I betrayed you by piloting with Zero Two. I just want you guys to know that betraying your trust was never my intention…and I understand if you no longer want to consider me as part of the squad…"

X004 reached out and put a hand on X007s shoulder looking him deep in the eyes. "I think what you meant to say was…Thank You."

X007s squad mates quickly erupted into laughter at X004s comment. A smile came across X007s face. It was their way of telling him they didn't need an apology, there was nothing that needed to be forgiven. He was a long way from feeling "ok" but X007 found comfort in the unspoken words between them.

"So what now?" X007 asked as the laughter from his squad mates died down.

"We are not sure." X010 replied "the Captain is not happy about what we did especially since we went against his orders. But word has come around that Papa was impressed and said there was no denying that we were effective."

"Right now we really think they are just trying to figure out what to do with us." X004 shrugged his shoulders "One thing is for sure though, I think things around here are about to change."

"Yeah you are right." X007 nodded in agreement "after everything that just happened things are bound to change."

"Well what about you X007?" X009 chimed in pointing to his cast. "What about your arm?"

X007 looked down at his cast as he spoke. "Dr. Franxx said that I broke the bone and that the muscle structure in my arm was torn. He said he did everything that he could but he wasn't sure if I would ever be able to use it normally again or not."

"It's that serious huh?" the concern apparent in X004s voice as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

"They told us it was bad…but we never got any details" X010 added.

"Yeah Dr. Franxx seems to think it's pretty bad. But I guess I should just be glad I am alive huh?" X007 tried giving them a weak smile. It took everything in him to force out that line and that smile. After all the news he had been given today he honestly wasn't so sure he was happy to be alive…

His squad mates stood there and answered his forced smile with a strange look. Was it pity? No. There was more to it than that…they looked at him like there was something they wanted to tell him but they couldn't. As if the words were on the tips of their tongues.

X007 opened his mouth to ask them if everything was ok. But X009 beat him to the punch.

"We are sorry to hear about Zero Two…we know she meant a lot to you."

Her comment stunned him. The last time they had all spoken Zero Two was some stranger that he had run off with. Honestly he figured they would be glad that she was gone. What had happened to change how they felt about him and her as partners? X007 sat there in silence…he didn't know how to reply to that. She was taking his feelings about Zero Two into consideration. And after what he had put them all through he didn't deserve that.

X009 quickly burst into tears. "We know you are going to miss her! But just because she is gone doesn't mean you are alone X007. You have us! We are a team no matter what ok?!"

This response shocked him even more. It was as if X009 had read his mind, it was like she could sense how worried he was about not having anything left to hold onto in this world. "Thank you X009." He replied "I really don't deserve to be a part of your team…I have let you guys down so many times."

"Oh shut up already." X004 stepped in "Just accept the fact your stuck with us whether you like it or not alright?" he said with a small laugh.

X007 gave them a small smile. "Alright I can do that….thank you."

"We have to go I am sure the Captain will really give us a hard time if we are late for training today after everything that's happened." X001 reminded everyone as he turned and started heading for the door.

X010 put her hand to her head in frustration. "Sorry X007 I promise I am working on his people skills even if you can't tell. Make sure to let us know if anything changes ok?"

X007 laughed slightly "Yeah I will make sure to let you know. But he's not wrong you guys better get a move on before you get in trouble."

They all nodded and groaned in agreement as they made their way out the door. X007 laid back onto the bed his mind racing with all the information he had just been given. X004 was right things were really going to change. And if his squad mates were willing to give him another chance….would he be able to let her go?

Ding!...Ding!...Ding!

X007 opened his eyes and slowly sat up in his bed waiting for the wakeup tone that was being played in his room to subside. Once it finally stopped he stood up and stretched slightly, looking at the cast that still covered his right arm. It had been three months since his injury and he seemed to be healing up nicely. The pain in the rest of his body was now gone and all that was left was to have the cast removed and to have his health evaluated. The last few months had been extremely hard on him not just because of the pain his body was in while he healed, but because of the uselessness he felt. He was of no use to anyone during that time. All he could do was watch while his squad mates pushed themselves past their limits in training day in and day out, trying to prove that what had happened during the Klaxosaur attack on the facility was no fluke and that they were ready to face anything that lay before him. The only ray of hope he had was that he had been told that depending on how his arm healed up he could return to training with his squad mates.

He made his was over to the closet and dressed himself in his training uniform. Once dressed he quickly made his way out of his room and into the hallways of the facility. He wasn't scheduled to have the cast removed until later in the day so he figured it might be a good idea to eat breakfast with his squad mates before being required to start his own daily routine. X007 let out a slight groan at this thought. His days had been so boring lately. His schedule consisted of being looked over by doctors and then having his blood taken for tests. He had asked them once why they needed his blood for testing but had been simply told it was for monitoring purposes. X007 furrowed his brow in frustration as he made his way down the hall. He was tired of never being able to get a straight answer in this place. But once the tests were done for the day he was allowed to mostly do as he pleased. So he spent his time with light exorcises to try and stay in shape, and spending time with his squad mates. Doing his best to try and rekindle the relationship he had with them before he had been whisked off to pilot with Zero Two.

He was happy that they had been able to reconnect over these last months; they had accepted him back into their group as if he had never left. He was grateful to them and he wanted to finally be able to support them again in any way he could. He had been given a second chance and he was more than ready to make it count!

"Hey X007! You're late!" X004 called out to him as he made his way into the dining area.

X007 responded with a small smile and a wave "Yeah you know I'm still moving a little slow these days." Of course X004 had been the one to call him out like that; he had been like this for as long as X007 could remember. He was strong and confident…sometimes too confident which is probably why he had been paired with X009. Early on his confidence would keep him from relying on or thinking about others. X009 always thought of other people before herself and X007 could see that trait starting to manifest in X004. He and X007 were fairly close at this point in their lives, but this hadn't always been the case. When they were younger X007s standoffish attitude clashed with the fun loving and carefree mindset of X004, the two of them were constantly butting heads. But once X007 was paired with X005 his own personality began to change and he started to see the world a little more like X004 did. He didn't think he could ever really be as carefree as X004 but he was very glad the two of them had grown close enough to banter back and forth like they did.

"Oh whatever man! Just get over here and sit and eat before I eat your share!" X004 responded with a laugh as he pulled a chair out for X007.

X007 took his seat in the small dining area. The room had two metal tables one for the boys and the other for the girls with just enough chairs at each for the remaining squad members. There had once been ten chairs sitting in this room, but each time they lost a member of the squad their chair at the table was taken away as well. He wasn't quite sure why they were always required to eat separately but that was the way it had always been so he didn't really question it. As his eyes made their way over the variety of breads, fruits and meats that had been laid out for breakfast he felt a small twinge in his heart as a small container of honey came into view. X007 breathed out a small sigh as he thought back to his time with Zero Two and how he had never understood her strange eating habits. Even after all this time not a day went by where she didn't cross his mind in one way or another.

"So are you excited for the big day?" X004 asked him through a mouth full of food.

X007 straightened himself, now was not the time to be distracted he needed to keep focusing on his squad mates. "More nervous than excited" he replied.

"I'm sure everything is going to work out fine!" X009 assured him from her table. X007 couldn't help but smile at X009. She had always been soft spoken and quite. Honestly with her personality he was sometimes surprised to think how she had made it this far. Their lives had not been easy and the stress on their body was always something they had to keep in consideration. She may have been timid but she was definitely no quitter. But he could see her changing right before his eyes. All the time she was spending with X004 was starting to have an effect on her personality. X007 was starting to see X004s confidence show in her…it was good she was going to need that. X007 felt a slight drop in his chest. X009 had been X005s best friend…he really wished X005 could see her friend now, she would have been so proud.

X010 nodded in agreement "You have healed up so quickly there is no way your arm won't be back to 100%!"

"Thanks you guys. I promise to try and not let you down. I am ready to be of some use to the team again." X007 responded fierce determination in his eyes.

"Don't you have anything you want to say to X007 on his important day X001?" X010 questioned in a slightly chastising tone. Listening to her fuss at X001 X007 couldn't help but laugh to himself a little. Things between her and X001 had changed drastically since they were children. She had always had a rebellious streak about her and didn't exactly like following the rules. There had been more than one occasion when she had acted out and they had all been punished. But being paired with X001 soon brought that to a close. Once they were partnered X001 kept a very close eye on her and didn't let her get into much mischief. This of course created great conflict between the two of them early on. But eventually both sides gave in a little to the other and they had become an amazing team.

All eyes were now X001 who was in the middle of taking a drink of water from his glass. He slowly pulled his drink from his lips and set it on the table and looked over at X007 with his one good eye. He was still wearing his eye patch and X007 believed there was more to the story of its origin than some "training accident" but he decided not to push X001 for answers he could talk about it when he was ready.

"It will be beneficial to have you back on the team." X001 responded simply.

"Ugh!" X010 moaned placing her hand on her forehead in frustration. "We really have got to work on your social skills!"

X007 looked back to X001 and watched him slowly lower his eyes down to the table and slump his shoulders slightly. These actions startled him, X001 only ever acted like this when he was…disappointed. It was true that X001 was known for being extremely blunt and forward. Honestly he was a fantastic leader and everyone in the squad respected him because of that…he just wasn't that great with people. But X007 had been noticing that ever since he had woken up X001 had been putting forth a real effort to work on his weakness. X007 really hoped the others were noticing as well. He knew firsthand how hard it was to break out of that kind of shell…He had a lot of help along the way but he still fought with those demons himself so he was rooting for X001 all the way. X007 could feel his heart start to warm within his chest. X001 was really doing his best to let him know that he cared…they all were.

X007 couldn't help but smile and shake his head slightly…they had all changed so much from when they were little. And with everything going on around them he couldn't help but feel like more change was inevitable. X007 took advantage of one of the things X005 had taught him during their time together…this was one of the little moments in life he needed to enjoy, and he wanted to make the most of it.

"Hey X001." X007 spoke softly waiting for X001 to lift his eyes to meet his own. "Thanks."

X001 gave him a small nod and took another drink from his glass. X007 took a quick look around the small room all of his squad mates still had their eyes on him. He felt a slight uneasiness come over him…they all had that look in their eyes again just like when he had first woken up. The look was hard to explain. It was like they were studying him, as if someone they knew had been taken away and he was there as their replacement. There was pity in their eyes as well…as if they knew something that he didn't even know about himself. Then as quickly as it had appeared the look was gone.

"Well come on don't just sit there! You have a big day, let's eat!" X004 quickly exclaimed as he reached his hand out to grab some bread.

X007 smiled and gave a small nod as they all began to take part in the meal. As they ate his squad mates babbled on about how their training was going and about how the Captain had said they might be able to start doing live combat sessions soon. X007 could feel the excitement in the air as they discussed the topic. Being able to see live combat was a very exciting event for them. It meant they were one step closer to completing their training, and closing in on their purpose in life…being the squad that fought the Stratos class. X007 sat and listened silently to their conversation and couldn't help but think about how the atmosphere was now compared to three months ago. Their attitudes and questions back then were completely justified, and then in the command center when they had learned about how he had seen live combat…with someone who was a total stranger to them no less, he was sure that they hated him. And back then he was ok with that fact. Not because he wanted them to hate him but because he thought he would be leaving them either with Zero Two, Dr. Franxx, or because he was dead. And yet despite all of that they had come to his rescue, and now here he sat eating with them, welcomed back with open arms as if none of it had ever happened.

"Pardon me children."

The strange voice brought everyone's conversation to a quick halt. The room quickly growing silent as they all turned their attention to the figure standing in the doorway of their dining room.

"I truly hate to interrupt your meal and your conversation. But I am glad to see all of you are eating well and staying strong."

"Dr. Franxx! What are you doing here?" X009 inquired.

"I came to personally oversee X007s evaluation. I am extremely interested to see how he had healed up after such a traumatic injury." Dr. Franxx responded as he adjusted his gaze to look at X007. "Are you ready?"

"I thought I wasn't going to be evaluated until later this evening?" X007 questioned the doctor.

"I arrived sooner than I expected" Dr. Franxx answered. "But if you prefer to wait until later that's not a problem for me."

"No now is fine. The sooner I can get this over with the better." X007 stated as he rose up from the table. And began to make his way to the door, he jumped slightly as X001 quickly reached out and gripped he left wrist.

"No matter what the results are…you are one of us." X001 stated simply.

X007 wasn't for sure but he could have sworn that for a moment he could see concern in the usually unwavering eyes of X001. He gave him a quick nod of agreement and X001 released his grip. As X007 left the room he felt the familiar twinge in his heart as he looked over his shoulder, it was not to catch one final glimpse of his squad mates but to look at the lone container of honey still resting untouched on the table. No matter how much he tried to tell himself to focus on his squad…he was just unable to let Zero Two go.

As he followed Dr. Franxx through the eerily silent halls of the facility X007 could feel the nervousness in his stomach starting to rise. All that had been on his mind up until this point was getting this stupid cast off and getting back to training with his squad mates. But now that the moment of truth was finally upon him he could not shake the possibility of failure that was now looming over him. What would happen to him if his arm no longer worked? This was a thought he had not allowed himself to dwell upon but now his mind had clamped down on this possibility like a steel trap. If his arm no longer worked would he still be sent off with Dr. Franxx for testing? Would there be some other way to try and heal him? Or would he simply be written off as a failed attempt and then disposed of? All of these thoughts ran through his mind until for him the silent halls were filled with the screams of his own imagination.

As they entered the medical room Dr. Franxx pointed his cane to a chair near the middle of the room.

"X007 please take a seat:

X007 could barely hear Dr. Franxx voice over the buzzing hive of his thoughts but he gave a quick nod of agreement and slowly made his way to the chair and took his seat.

Dr. Franxx pushed a small mobile laser over next to the chair and then took X007s right arm and placed it on the arm rest.

"Be still X007 this will only take a second."

Dr. Franxx walked over to one of the consoles in the room and pressed a small button. The laser fired a small beam at X007s wrist and then slowly made its way down the rest of his arm only stopping once it had reached the end of his cast. Dr. Franxx then approached X007 once more and simply pulled the two halves of the cast apart exposing X007s arm.

X007s head finally went silent. He could now hear nothing but his heart beating within his chest as he looked at the scar that was now staring back at him. It was on the palm side of his arm and extended from his wrist all the way to right before the crook of his elbow. It had been covered by his cast this whole time, but now that he could see it he really began to grasp how severe his injury had been. He felt he body grow tense as he began to break out in a cold sweat. Could anyone really be able to recover from something like this?

"I am sure seeing this is probably quite a shock to you." Dr. Franxx quickly chimed in. "I considered mentioning it sooner but I didn't want to alarm you. That is the scar from the surgery I performed in order to try and fix your arm. That is something you will have to carry with you from now on."

X007 released a deep breath. "If I can come out of something like this with nothing but a scar I would say I am doing pretty well."

Dr. Franxx nodded his head. "Yes that is a positive way to look at it I suppose." The Doctor then pulled an empty syringe from his pocket.

"More blood huh?" X007 moaned.

"Yes I am afraid so." Dr. Franxx responded by sticking the needle in X007s arm.

"Doctor why has it been so important to take my blood lately"

"I have heard that you were questioning the other doctors about this a lot X007. It is to help us monitor you better, to ensure that all of your organs are working properly."

"Oh really? Well making sure of that never seemed to be a priority before. We all know what is going on inside of our bodies' doctor, you probably better than anyone. We all know our bodies are failing so why now? Why is it so important to check on me now?" X007 questioned anger slowly slipping its way into his voice.

Dr. Franxx simply pulled the needle from X007s arm without a word and went and placed it in a machine.

X007 grit his teeth anger a frustration beginning to swell up inside his chest. He wanted an answer! Why were they so focused on his blood all of a sudden? They had taken all of the children's blood periodically during their enhancement treatments. But this was different they were taking it daily now. They had never cared this much before…not even when the others were dying. And that's probably what pissed him off the most. Why him? Why now? What had changed?

"X007" Dr. Franxx spoke his name softly. "There is no sense in getting so worked up. We have answered your question time and time again you are just simply not satisfied with that answer. You took more damage during your fight than you realize…don't forget you should be dead. We just want to make sure you are healing up the way you need."

X007 took a deep breath. "Yeah…ok…whatever" He still felt like that answer was a lie but he had no proof so maybe it would be better if he just let it go. Besides if they really did just want to make sure he was healing up fine then after today it hopefully wouldn't be a problem anymore.

"If you would please be so kind as to go lay in the scanner X007 so I can look over everything."

X007 took one more look at the scar that cascaded its way down his arm. He then lifted himself from the seat and started towards the scanner. As he walked he slowly twisted and turned his right wrist, occasionally making a fist. He was trying to see if anything felt out of place or abnormal, but as far as he could tell everything seemed to be ok. Yet he still continued to roll his wrist and flex his forearm waiting to feel a slight twinge of pain or anything to let him know something may be wrong.

He slowly laid himself down on the bed for the scanner. The machine was simple; it was a bed that had a scanner over top of it. But the results it provided were anything but simple. It was able to show bone structure, muscle fibers, nerve pathways and give readings on about any other vital sign you could ask. This machine would tell Dr. Franxx whether or not he was well enough to train again.

"Try and make yourself comfortable X007." Dr. Franxx told him as he pushed the button to start the scanning sequence. "You will be there for a minute"

X007 relaxed his body as the scanner made its first pass slowly down his body. As he listened to the gentle whirring of the machine as the scanner make its way up and down his body X007s mind began to wander. If his evaluation went well to what extent would he be allowed to train again? Would they simply make him a sparring dummy for his squad mates? If they did that he wouldn't mind at all as long as he was of some use again. Or would they possibly just keep him around as a backup in case something were to happen to X001 or X004? That thought made him feel queasy he wasn't sure if he could handle loosing anyone else at this point without going insane. He immediately tried pushing that thought aside but his thoughts from earlier surfaced in its place. What if he wasn't well? What would they do with him? Would they simply dispose of him like any other failed test? Or would Dr. Franxx go back to his original idea of turning him into some sort of glorified lab rat!?

Suddenly X007 felt a cool rush go through his left arm. He looked over to see Dr. Franxx injecting him with something! What was he doing!? Was this some sort of trick!? X007 tried to stop him but his body didn't want to move! His world was quickly becoming blurry and his body became heavy as a fog descended on his mind. All he could do was lay there and watch the scanner continue to pass over him as his world faded into black.

 _X7…._

X007 quickly opened his eyes to the sound of a familiar voice calling out to him. He was standing alone in nothing but darkness…where was he?

 _X7…._

X007 quickly looked around trying to identify where they voice was coming from. It was echoing and sounded like it was coming from all directions.

 _X7…_

Behind him! X007 whirled around to face the voice…but all he saw was a lone Sakura tree illuminated in the darkness. He stood there in silence staring at the tree waiting for the voice to call to him once again.

"Hello?" X007 called out getting impatient

As he called a lone figure made its way from around the back of the tree. X007 squinted his eyes trying to make out who was there. X007 felt his body grow stiff as the figure made its way to the front of the tree.

"Zero Two!" he cried out in disbelief

Zero Two waved to him and flashed one of her best smiles. X007 felt like his heart was going to explode! She was there right in front of him! His feet started moving before his mind could even register what was happening. As he ran to her she reached an arm out to him still smiling. X007 outstretched his arm as well but right before they touched Zero Two and the tree vanished.

X007 stopped in his tracks and began looking around frantically trying to find out where she had gone to. But all he could see was darkness.

"Zero Two!" He cried out with all his might. "ZERO TWO!"

But all he heard in response was the echo of his own voice disappearing into the abyss. X007 look down at his trembling hand. He didn't understand. She had been right there right in front of him where could she…

X007 stopped himself midway through his thought his eyes growing wide and his heart beginning to race as he looked at his arm. Where…where was his scar? It was gone? No something wasn't right…

Suddenly the ear piercing screams of children rang out through the dark. X007 quickly covered his ears in an attempt to block them out but it was useless the screams pierced deep into his mind. It was as if they were ripping his very soul from his body. Still clutching his ears he dropped down to his knees too weak to continue standing. The screams only grew louder and one by one he began to recognize them they were the screams of X001, X010, X009, X004 and all the others.

"No!" X007 cried out trying to drown them out. "No!...No!...NOOOOOOOOOO!"

X007 sucked in a huge breath as he bolted straight up in the scanner bed. He began looking around frantically as his mind still raced the screams still echoing in his consciousness. He looked over to see Dr. Franxx looking at a monitor on a wall.

"You!" X007 howled as he tried to launch his way off the bed. But his body was still numb and he wound up collapsing onto the floor. "What did you do to me!?" He cried out in rage.

"Calm down X007!" Dr. Franxx fired back "Your heart rate was reaching undesirable levels during the scan so I injected you with a sedative in order to keep you calm and from failing your evaluation! I was trying to help you! The effects will not have completely worn off until tomorrow so until then taking it easy."

X007 carefully began to pick himself up from off the floor. And sat on the edge of the scanner bed holding his head with his right hand he could make out his scar from the corner of his eye. He let out a long tired breath…it had all just been a dream.

Dr. Franxx walked over a stood in front of X007. "I am truly sorry to do that to you X007. But believe me I was trying to help."

X007 gave a simple nod of understanding still trying to push the last little bit of haze out of his head from the sedative. "How long until you have my results?"

"Well considering you were out for a couple of hours I have complied all the information I need and I am ready whenever you are."

A couple of hours!? X007 couldn't believe it! In his mind only moments had passed. He cursed Dr. Franxx under his breath for putting him under like that. But he straightened himself on the bed. "Just go ahead and tell me already."

Dr. Franxx gave him a small nod and put a diagram of X007s body up on the monitor. X007s jaw dropped and his eyes were wide with disbelief. There were green check marks everywhere all over his body! X007 could feel relief and excitement building up within his body as he scanned over all the different marks. Heart, lungs, skeletal structure, muscle fibers, and multiple other organs everything he looked at was green! He held his breath as he moved his gaze over to his right forearm. His stomach dropped slightly as he saw the yellow caution symbol starting him back in the face.

"Doctor…my arm…is it" X007 started to stammer.

Dr. Franxx quickly interrupted him. "Let me stop you before you get too worked up X007. So as you can see your vitals are fine everything else has healed up quite nicely. This includes your right forearm. The bone has mended itself back to normal and all the muscle fibers have reattached."

X007 could start to feel himself relax a little. But if he was fine why was the caution mark there?

Dr. Franxx continued. "The issue with your arm is that only 95% of its nervous system seems to be working. Honestly that's an incredible percentage for the type of injury you had."

"What does that mean? Is it permanent?" X007 quickly blurted out.

"It means that your hand and arm should function normally. But there could be a rare instance where not all of your nerves carry signal correctly causing your hand to react in an unexpected way. And I cannot answer whether or not this is permanent. Everything else has healed the way it should so it's possible that over time and use of your arm those nerves may straighten themselves out…but only time will tell."

"I see." X007 responded simply. Looking back down at his hand opening and closing it into a fist a few times.

"In conclusion…you are clear to train again." Dr. Franxx responded with what seemed like joy sneaking its way into his voice.

X007 looked up at the doctor his eyes wide with excitement. "Really? Even with my arm the way it is?"

"Yes like I said your arm should function normally for the most part. And at this point I would honestly still be a little scared to tell you no." Dr. Franxx replied with a small laugh.

X007 leapt off the bed with excitement but wobbled a little as he touched the floor the effects of the sedative still very apparent. He could feel himself starting to get emotional, after all this time after everything he had been through he had been given the green light to train with his squad again.

"Thank you doctor…for everything." X007 thanked Dr. Franxx softly

"Yes yes you're quite welcome. Now go share the news with the others I am sure they are quite concerned."

X007 turned to make his way out of the room but Dr. Franxx stopped him before he could make it too far. "X007. Just take it easy with that arm ok? And if anything abnormal happens make sure to have one of the doctors here contact me understood?"

X007 gave him a small nod. "Of course doctor."

"Oh and no training today you can start tomorrow give the drugs time to wear off." Dr. Franxx added "Other than that you are free to go."

X007 quickly made his way out of them room. Dr. Franxx turned to look at the diagram once more staring at it in amazement.

"Incredible…" he whispered to himself. Dr. Franxx had never let any of the children see the results of their evaluation before…and for good reason. Even during a normal scan due to the stress on their bodies there should have been yellow caution marks everywhere especially at the heart, lungs and muscle fibers. But with X007 even after being on the brink of death his body was showing almost all green. Dr. Franxx decided he needed to go over all of X007s blood samples again. He also needed to have another conversation with X001 and the other parasites to ensure that they stayed tight lipped about what they knew. Dr. Franxx could feel the excitement rush through his body like a wave of electricity…everything had been done in such a rush... he never fathomed that X007s body to react like this.


	4. Chapter 4: Trials

_Warning solo pilot startup verified, safety protocol engaging startup denied_

"Override" X007 commanded

 _Override command authorized. Mark Two starting up in limited mode_

X007 took a deep breath and steadied himself.

 _Startup Complete_

X007 let out a small groan of pain as the Mark Two brought itself to life. Things were getting easier for him since the first time he piloted alone, but the Mark Two still felt so heavy and sapped his strength. It had been six long months since Dr. Franxx had cleared him to start training again and he had spent most of those days training in the Mark Two. Things started off slow, mostly just him standing in the hangar letting his body adjust to the strain of the Mark Two. But over time he was able to start walking the Mark Two around. That evolved into being able to perform quick evasive maneuvers and now he was able to perform combat without sustaining any significant injuries. Piloting the Mark Two was still extremely strenuous but his body had done a pretty impressive job of adapting to the life of solo piloting…something he honestly didn't think was possible.

"Alright does everyone have their Franxx started up and ready to go?" X001s voice came over across the public comm link.

"X004 and X009 ready for action!" X004 responded back.

"I am about as ready as I am gonna be" X007 mumbled his response.

"Come on X007 don't be like that!" X010 urged

"Yeah man you have been kinda in a funk lately…everything alright?" X004 questioned.

"Yeah everything is fine. Just been working myself to hard lately I suppose." X007 didn't have the heart to tell them that even with all of the extra work he had been putting in lately he still felt like he was falling behind the others.

"You know you can talk to us if something is bothering you." X009 told him nervously.

"Hey if he says he is fine then he's fine." X001 cut in "We don't have time to be chit chatting right now. The Captain is waiting for us….and you know how he gets when we keep him waiting."

The other parasites all voiced their agreement and began to walk their Franxx out of the hangar bay. X007 squinted his eyes slightly as he waited for them to adjust to the bright sun as he stepped outside. He looked across the bright but barren wasteland that lay before him. He felt a small wave of sadness crash into him as he stared out into the vast nothingness that was before him. He longed to spend some time in the garden with its luscious green plants and sparkling water. But ever since Zero Two had left the facility X007 just couldn't bring himself to visit the garden. It had been their sanctuary and he couldn't bear the thought of going there without her. So he focused solely on his training in an attempt to keep his mind off of how much he still missed Zero Two.

Not long after he had been permitted to begin training again it was decided by the Captain, Papa and a few select others that it was time for the parasites to begin in depth Franxx training. They had all piloted a little before of course, but those sessions were mostly tests to see how capable the children were as they grew. This involved quick to the point exercises that never demanded much from them. But now even though they were all still a little young, they were on their way to becoming full-fledged Franxx Pilots! He and his squad mates had been promised that it would not be long before they were ready to take on low key missions to fight klaxosaurs…something he was afraid he would not be allowed to be a part of since he still had issues with his right hand from time to time. But he had really been pushing himself lately…possibly even pushing himself to hard, desperate to not be left behind by the others, especially since he was finally starting to feel like part of the squad again.

X001s voice interrupted X007s wandering thoughts "The Franxx carrier is over to our left. Everyone move out on me!"

X007 and the other parasites turned their Franxx in the desired direction and used their thrusters to slowly begin making their way over the sandy terrain. The Captain had called them all into a brief meeting yesterday and informed them they would be taking part in a very special training exercise. Then this morning a lone Franxx carrier landed just outside of the facility. The Captain got in touch with X001 and told him to have his squad out by the Franxx carrier ASAP. X007 wasn't entirely sure what to expect at this point…but all of this was definitely out of the ordinary.

As the parasites approached the carrier X007 could see the Captain standing out on a viewing platform that was connected to the carrier's side. Seeing him standing there with his hands behind his back, chest swelled out and watching the approaching Mark Twos with unblinking eyes as his coat flapped gently in the wind X007 couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind, ever since the incident with the Klaxosaur the Captain had been…different. He was still as strict and hard on them as ever but he had become almost distant to them and they saw him less and less. X007 had been sure that he would face the full wrath of the Captains anger after disobeying a direct order and rushing off to help Zero Two. However the Captain never mentioned the incident again and honestly X007 was never really punished. The rumor he had heard was that there was a direct order from Papa that no punishment was to be issued for him…he wasn't for sure if he believed it or not.

The parasites brought their Franxx to a halt in front of the platform and awaited their new orders from the Captain. However the Captain simply stood in silence the wind slowly flapping his coat tail while his eyes poked out beneath the brim of his hat carefully looking over each Mark Two. The only sound to be made was the whistling of the wind as it blew through the nooks and crannies of the Mark Twos armor. The moments of silence seemed to drag on for an eternity as the parasites simply stood there staring back at the Captain each one wanting to speak and break the silence…but they all knew speaking first would be a grave mistake and they would only find themselves on the receiving end of the Captains harsh words.

Finally the Captains voice broke loose over the comm link….but it had lost its normal rough and harsh tone…his voice was so soft and so normal…it made X007s skin crawl.

"Alright everyone now that you are here I am sure you are all dying to know why you were summoned."

None of the parasites answered…the Captains new deminer had stunned them all into an uncomfortable silence.

"As I am sure you are all well aware I instructed X001 to bring you all out here for a special training exercise. However…" The Captain took a single long breath "You all are also here to be introduced to your new care taker."

All the parasites stood in silence stunned and confused by the Captains words.

What did he mean by new care taker? X007 wondered. Why did they need a new one to begin with? Sure the Captain wasn't perfect and he had his flaws but he was the one who had been training them since they were little. He had taught them everything that they knew about piloting a Mark Two Franxx. X007 had heard rumors that the Captain was the best trainer available for Franxx pilots and that was why he had be assigned to their squad by papa himself. Could someone better have possibly come along?

X001 was the first one in the squad to break the silence asking the one question that was on everyone's mind. "What do you mean we are being given a new caretaker?"

"It appears I am to be reassigned to a new squad and will be over seeing their training from now on." The Captain answered his eyes unblinking and steady.

X007 was heavily taken aback by the Captains words and how easily he was able to deliver them. He was being reassigned? How could he so easily be taken away from them? Where could he possibly be needed worse than here with them? They hadn't even started their official missions yet. X007s mind was filled with so many questions…but he simply stood in silence hoping they would be answered in time.

"Reassigned? Where are they going to reassign you to?" X001 questioned

"That is none of your concern X001." The Captain replied.

"With all due respect Captain if it affects this squad and its future then as squad leader it is my concern." X001 argued back

The Captain nodded his head slightly "Normally you would be correct X001. However this is a matter that you are currently not authorized to know about so where I am being reassigned is information you are not allowed to have."

"Regardless of that I think we deserve to know Captain." X001 continued

"Drop it." The Captain growled back

"But Captain…" X009 started in as well

"I said drop it!" The Captain bellowed his old demeanor finally returning.

His sudden outburst quickly silenced the parasites. They all knew better than to keep pushing the Captain once he had reached this point. Even if he was going to be leaving them…he was here now and they didn't want to push their luck.

The Captain removed his hat and slowly rubbed his forehead with his hand and breathed out a small sigh "I swear you all are far too persistent for your own good. You really make me feel my age sometimes." He mumbled.

The Captain placed his hat on his head once again and then put his hands behind his back. "Alright now that I have your attention again it is now time I introduce your new caretaker. I expect you to give her your undivided attention is that understood?"

"Yes Captain!" They all barked in unison.

X007 turned his gaze to the door that had opened on the Franxx carrier as someone stepped out onto the cat walk and began making their way over to the viewing platform that the Captain was standing on.

X007 zoomed in the Focus of his Franxx to get a better look. The figure making their way across the catwalk was a tall woman with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a dark grey uniform that had a short red tie and a grey envelope shape hat that bore the APE symbol on it. She used both hands to carry the clipboard she had close to her chest. She made her way steadily across the catwalk carrying herself with confidence. No one spoke as she made her way over to the Captains side the parasites simply observed her movements curious about this new person about to enter their lives.

Once she arrived on the viewing platform she stood next to the Captain facing the parasites in their Franxx. She observed them for a moment before looking at her clip board and quickly jotting something down.

"Everyone let me introduce you to your new care taker Nana!" the Captain motioned a hand in her direction as he spoke. "She will now be in charge of your training schedule, and will be your direct contact with papa. I expect your fullest attention as she introduces herself!"

The parasites all focused their attention on her, nervously awaiting what she had to say.

Nana flashed them all a big smile as her soft voice came over each Franxx comm link. "Hello everyone! As you have just been told my name is Nana and I have been instructed to be your new care taker. I am greatly looking forward to working with such a unique and special squad! Thank you all so much for your cooperation!"

There was something about her smile that put X007 at ease. X007 studied her closely as she stood on the catwalk looking out to their Franxx. No it wasn't just her smile it was also the way she carried herself…the look in her eyes…the way she spoke to them. It was as if everything she had done up to this point she had done with the parasites feelings in the forefront of her mind. As if her every intention was to put them at ease. He had literally only just met her, and of course she them….but it seemed as if she really cared for them…and this was not a feeling X007 was accustomed to.

Nanas voice once again came over the comm link. "Alright everyone if I could briefly have your attention there will be plenty of time for a more formal introduction and I am sure I will get to know each one of you very well. However at the moment we will keep our focus on todays training exercise!"

X007 and the others quickly focused their attention on Nana. All they had been told so far was that they were to take part in some sort of "Special Training" but they had yet to receive any details and they were eager to learn more.

"Honestly todays exercise is very simple…you will have a sparring session with another squad. It will be a 3 on 3 match." Nana continued.

What? Her words floored X007. Sparring….with another squad!? Something like that was unheard of for them. Due to the nature of project X everything about them was to remain a secret until they were fully ready to be introduced to the world. No one was to know about their existence besides those who were also isolated at the facility with them and a few others Papa included from the outside such as Dr. Franxx, The Captain, and Zero Two. The parasites themselves were kept on an extremely tight leash not being allowed to step a foot outside of the facility without permission directly from the Captain. So much effort had been put into keeping the project a secret that the thought of allowing another squad to know of their existence was insane to X007…..unless. X007 quickly diverted his focus from Nana over to the door of the Franxx carrier. He could feel his heart slowly begin to beat faster in his chest as he realized the only reason they would bring another squad all the way out here to see them.

X001s voice came in over a private chat line to the other two Franxx so Nana and the Captain couldn't hear them. "I can only think of one reason why they would bring another squad out here and allow them to know about us."

X007 let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in. It was nice to know that at the very least he and X001 were on the same page about this whole situation…although he was sure the others were having similar thoughts they just hadn't voiced their opinion yet. "Yeah I am with you" X007 replied "This is no ordinary squad…these guys have got to be special."

The parasites stood in tense silence as Nana continued. "This will be used as an evaluation to see not only how well the Mark Twos will perform, but how much you all have grown as Franxx pilots and as a squad. This will help determine if you are ready to be promoted to full fledge pilots and begin taking on missions. So it is crucial that you all put everything you have into this…understood?"

All three Mark Twos quickly snapped to attention as the pilots barked "Yes Mam!" in unison.

Nana giggled to herself slightly before giving the parasites another smile. "I appreciate that but there is no need to be as formal with me as you were with the captain ok?"

Once again her words stunned X007…how could she be so relaxed? Formality and discipline had always been a large part of their training…especially with the Captain. Was she really this carefree…or was there something deeper going on here? Either way she was something he would have to figure out later…right now he needed to focus his attention on what he was sure was waiting for them in the carrier.

Nana stood there for a moment waiting for a reply from the parasites that never came. She kept that same smile and shook her head slightly. "It's fine we will have plenty of time to work on that. However I am sure you all are chomping at the bit to know who you're opponents are. So without any further delay allow me to introduce…the 9s."

"The who?" X007 wondered silently to himself as he watched the door to carrier slowly begin to open itself. X007 could feel the palms of his hands becoming sweaty, he took deep breaths in order to try and calm himself. He couldn't tell if he was nervous…or excited but either way he was about to find out who exactly their opponents would be.

Once the door was fully open X007 could see what appeared to be blue eyes staring back at him from the dim bay of the carrier. He shivered slightly, he wasn't sure what it was about those eyes but they left him feeling very uneasy. Then almost as if they knew the impact they had on him they took this opportunity to come out fully into the open standing on the barren earth facing X007 and the others.

X007 could feel his body tense up as he examined the Franxx that were standing across from them…it was obvious at first glance that these were no ordinary Franxx. They had very sleek red and white armor with bulky shoulder and leg plating, and unlike ordinary Franxx where you could see eyes and a mouth once the unit was powered up, this model had a plate over the face that only showed two blue glowing lights in place of eyes. However their spear like weapon was very similar to that of a regular Franxx.

X004s voice came in over the private comm line "Alright…I'm just gonna come out and say it…those are some impressive looking Franxx. Do you guys think maybe they could be a Mark Three model?"

"I highly doubt that" X001 replied "They still don't have all the issues worked out of the Mark Two yet."

"All the reason to scrap us and come up with something new." X010 mumbled

"Do their Franxx kinda remind anyone else of the Franxx Zero Two was piloting?" X009 asked the group.

X007 took another look at the suspicious Franxx. Now that X009 had pointed it out he began to notice similarities between these Franxx and Strelizia. Who are these people….

Nana quickly cleared her throat before gesturing her hand over to X007 and the others. "9s this is the Stratos Special forces unit lead by codename X001." She then moved her hand to gesture to the 9s "Stratos Squad these are the 9s they are being groomed to be part of Papas own special forces unit led by 9 Alpha."

A special forces group for Papa huh? X007 wondered silently to himself. If they were going to be a force directly under Papa then that meant they had to be ace pilots. He had to admit that the thought of two specialty forces sparring against each other was starting to get him a little excited. But at the same time he felt like he and his squad mates had an unfair advantage here. After all even if the 9s were ace pilots no normal human could keep up with their genetically modified strength and reflexes. And if the 9s reported directly to Papa then he was sure to know about this sparring session and would surely be told an outcome. X007 smiled to himself as he began to relax…maybe finally after all this time a little good luck was going to come their way! They could show off a little for Papa and prove they were ready to become full pilots!

Suddenly an unknown voice broke X007s train of happy thoughts as it came in over the public comm. "Captain may I ask a quick question to the Stratos Squad before we begin our training session?"

"Wait? What!?" X010 exclaimed over their private comm so the others couldn't hear them. "Why is he addressing the Captain like that!?"

The others did not give a response. He couldn't be for sure what the others were thinking but X007 knew exactly why he would address the Captain in such a manner. He was certain that he had just pieced together exactly which squad the Captain was being reassigned to.

"Sure be my guest Alpha." The captain mumbled.

"Which one of you is X007?" Alpha questioned in an almost playful tone.

X007 could feel his heart skip a beat in his chest as Alphas simple question struck him like a bolt of lightning. How…how did he know who he was? They didn't know a single thing about the 9s but apparently somehow they had gathered some information about them. And more specifically why was Alpha interested in him? All of these racing thoughts came to a screeching halt as X004s voice come over the private chat.

"X007…do you know this guy?"

"No…not a clue who he is." X007 responded quietly

"Well he obviously knows something about you." X001 butted in.

"Yeah gee thanks for that X001." X010 sighed "Not sure what we would do without your amazing attention to detail."

X001 simply scoffed at her remark.

"So…should we tell them which one of us is X007?" X009 questioned nervously.

"I…I don't know" X007 stammered.

"I say screw em!" X010 fired off

X007 could feel his knees start to get a little weak as his nervousness began to increase. Even though they were having a quick conversation amongst themselves several moments of silence had passed outside of their Franxx. And they would be expecting some sort of response very soon.

In that moment Alphas Franxx looked over at the Captain. "Captain do the lab rats not know how to speak?" his voice coming in loud and clear across the public comm.

"What did he just call us!?" X004 growled angrily over the private comm.

X010 immediately fired back across the public comm her infamous temper showing itself once again. "What the hell did you just call us!? Who the hell do you think you are!?"

"Here we go." X001 mumbled

Alpha let out a small laugh. "Ah there we go, you all are able to talk! Thank goodness I was beginning to wonder if you would even be able to communicate with us. Looks like I under estimated you all."

"You know what pal you have opened your mouth a total of three times and I am already itching to shut it for you!" X004 threatened.

Alpha laughed once more "Wow you guys really are as spunky as I have heard. I like it! I find it quite amusing."

"Oh yeah!? I'll show you amusing you snarky little bastard!" X004 shouted.

"Goodness what language! Where are your manners?" Alpha mused "I see now why they don't let you rats out of the cage very often."

"That does it I have had enough of your mouth!" X004 growled as he began to reach for the sword on his back.

"That's enough X004!" X001 demanded

"What!?" X004 argued "You can't honestly say you are willing to let this punk sit there and talk to us like that!"

"I said that's enough! We will get our chance soon enough. So stand down X004 that's an order!" X001 demanded once more.

"Yeah whatever" X004 huffed as he moved his Franxx hand back down to its side.

"I swear X004 after this me and you are going to have a nice little chat." X009 stated "I am not any happier about what he is saying to us than you are but you about drug me into quite a mess…control yourself!"

"I'm sorry X009…" X004 began to apologize. However Alpha interrupted him before he could get much farther.

"You must be X001 the squad leader…I am certainly glad to see that someone in your squad has their bearings about them."

"Yes that would be me." X001 responded coldly. "And I have a question of my own. How do you know so much about us exactly?"

"Well I thought maybe you had some manners anyway." Alpha sighed. "You see I asked you all a question first. And it still has yet to be answered. But none of that matters now, if you are X001 and loud mouth over there is X004." Alphas Franxx turned its head to face X007s Mark Two "Then you must be X007!"

X007 grit his teeth in frustration. Who the hell was this guy? Calling them lab rats and acting as if they were so far beneath him. He was about to lose his cool himself if Alpha kept on like he was. And now they had given up the only piece of information the 9s didn't seem to know about them. And yet here they stood still not knowing anything about the 9s! X007 turned his hands into fists and squeezed as tightly as he could, trying to maintain the last little bit of his composure. He stepped his Mark Two out a few steps in front of the others.

"Yeah I am X007." He growled "What exactly do you want with me?"

"Ah so I was right! Tell me are you really piloting that thing all by yourself?" Alpha questioned

"What!? How did he know that too?" X007 wondered, his heart beginning to beat faster in his chest.

"Now look who doesn't have any manners." X007 spat back "I believe I asked you a question first."

Alpha let out another small laugh "That's true! I suppose you have me there. Well to answer your question I just really wanted to meet the person Iota speaks so highly of…when she found out we were coming here she just went on and on about how you would "put me in my place" I believe were her exact words."

"Who? I hate to break it to you but I don't know an Iota. So why don't you really tell me how you know about me." X007 barked back. His frustration with Alpha coming to a boil.

"Oh come now…it would break Iotas heart if I were to go back and tell her that her precious X007 had forgotten all about her." Alpha mocked

"You must be really hard of hearing Alpha…I told you I don't know an Iota!" X007 fired back

"Oh yes of course how forgetful of me! She went by another name when you knew her…let's see…I believe it was…Zero Two? Does that ring any bells?" Alpha prodded.

X007 felt his heart leap within his chest upon hearing her name. They knew Zero Two!? How was that possible!? And Alpha made it seem as if she was talking about him still…even after all these months apart. It had been so long since he had heard her name said aloud. X007 felt his body growing heavy as his knees buckled and his heart rate increased as the shock from this news hit him square in the gut. He felt as is if he had just been punched by a Stratos…for months all he had were memories of her. It was getting to the point where X007 could have almost been convinced that it had all just been some crazy dream…but hearing Alpha say her name reminded X007 how very real their time together had been…he needed more information.

"How…how do you know Zero Two" X007 managed to wheeze

"Ahhhh it appears that I am on to something after all." Alpha smirked

"Don't toy with me Alpha." X007 threatened

"Oh now what fun would that be?" Alpha mocked. "I must say though it is nice to know that Iota didn't just make you up. To be completely honest with you sometimes I wondered if you even existed and she had simply made you up to make it seem like she had a friend. What was she like back then I wonder? I am sure you have plenty of stories you could tell me don't you X007?" Alpha mused.

X007 could feel the shock in his body wearing off. Slowly being replaced by a hot burning frustration as memories of he and Zero Two rushed to the forefront of his mind…eating together…garden walks…conversations about hopes and dreams…wondering about the future…the promise he had made her. Memories he had been trying to push farther back into his mind, he didn't want to forget them entirely, but he needed to push them away for his own sanity. But now here they all were bright and fresh racing through his mind the emotions from all of these memories flooding his body at once threatening to drive him insane! But there was one emotion that stood out among the others…pure unfiltered anger directed solely at Alpha. It was his fault he was feeling all of this pain in his chest…and the worst part was he knew Alpha was getting a kick out of toying with his emotions like this. X007 tightened his fist as a single tear found its way down his cheek.

"Come on now X007 why don't you tell me a story from Iotas past!?" Alpha laughed.

"Shut the hell up Alpha." X007 growled through gritted teeth

"Excuse me?" Alpha questioned somewhat surprised.

"I'm with X004 I am tired of hearing you run your mouth. The only thing I want to hear next is how you know Zero Two…and I suggest you choose your words carefully." X007 threatened the anger in his voice extremely apparent.

"Strange…Iota never mentioned that you had such a temper X007…is it something you have developed since she last saw you?" Alpha asked making the sarcasm in his voice apparent.

"That does it." X007 barked as he started walking his Mark Two in Alphas direction.

A few steps in X001s voice rang out. "That's enough X007 stand down!"

X007 ignored him and continued to close in the distance between him and Alpha. "One last chance Alpha tell me how you know Zero Two or I am going to beat it out of you!" He shouted. If X007 was being honest with himself at this point it was less about finding out about how they knew Zero Two and more about punishing Alpha for the mind games he was playing.

X001 and X010 quickly activated the boosters on their Mark Two and placed themselves between X007 and Alpha.

"That's enough X007!" X001 bellowed "Calm down! He is messing with your head and you know it! So quit reacting the way he wants! You will get your chance at him…don't forget why we are here!"

X007 gripped his fists so tight he thought his knuckles would burst free from his skin. But he took a deep breath before answering "Your right…just promise me one thing…once the match starts Alpha is mine!" X007 pleaded.

X001 took a deep breath of his own. He knew at this point it didn't matter what he said, X007 was going to go after Alpha full force. "Fine…but you promise me something…don't go rouge on us we still need to fight as a team ok?"

X007 nodded his agreement.

Suddenly Alpha burst out into full laughter "You guys are too much! HA HA HA HA, This has been too much fun! So let's spice things up shall we? X007 I want you to come at me with everything you've got and just to make sure you do I will make you a deal. If you can manage to beat me in a fight I'll answer any question you have about Zero Two!"

X007 paused for a moment curious about what reason Alpha had for wanting to make such an agreement…especially since it seemed like it mostly played in his favor. But he couldn't pass up this opportunity to learn more about how they knew Zero Two…maybe he even knew where she was at! As this thought crossed his mind X007 felt a surge of excitement rush through his body. He could ask where Zero Two was! After all this time he could finally figure out where she had gone!

"Yeah it's a deal!" X007 responded.

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!" The Captain bellowed at them stunning them all into an immediate silence.

"I was more than willing to let you all stand around and antagonize each other for a while to let you get worked up and fight your best!" he continued. "But I swear if I have to listen to you all act like children instead of the disciplined pilots that you are supposed to be I am going to let myself get eaten by a Klaxosaur! So keep your mouths shut until the sparring session commences!"

X007 could feel the burning rage deep within his chest. He wanted nothing more than to tell the Captain off and rush over and teach Alpha a lesson! But he bit his tongue and stood firm. X001 was right…Papa would hear all about today's events and making a scene would only make things harder on his squad mates.

X007 and the others remained completely silent and unmoving, but Alpha turned his Franxx to face the Captain. "Captain I don't think…"

The Captain instantly cut Alpha off "Listen here you disrespectful science experiment I suggest you choose your next words very carefully or I will be having a personal conversation with Papa about your lack of discipline…am I understood?"

"Yes of course Captain…my mistake." Alpha replied softly.

The Captains words peaked X007s curiosity…why would he call Alpha a science experiment? He slowly began to grind his teeth…who the hell are these guys? As always he had so many questions…but never any answers.

The Captain brought his hand to his face in frustration…"Nana can you please tell the parasites the rules of engagement so we can get this over with? I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my composure."

"Yes of course Captain." Nana replied quickly. "Alright children please let me have your attention. Normally when you spar with another Franxx you would use a training baton in place of your normal weapon. However this match will be an exception as we want to test the full ability of the pilots and their Franxx, so for this match you will be using your Franxx primary magma energy weapons. Does everyone understand this?"

"Yes mam!" X007 and his squad mates sounded off

Nana let out a small smile and glanced back down at her clipboard. "Fantastic! Now for the rules of engagement, this will be a 3 VS 3 match with no time limit. In order to knock someone from the match you must incapacitate their Franxx once all 3 members from a squad have been knocked out the match is over. Really the only rule is that you absolutely may not kill your opponent."

"Sounds simple enough." X004 stated with a quick smirk

"We wanted to try and keep as many limitations off you all as possible so we can get a better idea of what everyone is capable of. So does everyone understand the rules?"

"The 9s are ready to go." Alpha responded.

"Excellent! Stratos squad are you ready?" Nana questioned

"One moment." X001 replied.

X001s voice quickly came over the private comm. "Considering the only facts we know about our opponents is that they are going to be special forces directly under Papa, and that there has to be something unique about them…I think we should start out strong and put our Franxx into full power mode."

"I don't know X001…you know how much strain that puts on you guys." X007 argued.

"Yeah like you're one to talk X007." X010 spouted off

"Yeah…I guess that's true…" X007 responded, the hint of defeat in his voice.

"Me and X009 are with you X001!" X004 responded.

"Alright then it's settled…let's give them everything we got!" X001 shouted triumphantly.

Then without another word X007s squad mates Mark Twos quickly transformed. A section on their left arm opened up and a large round shield quickly took shape and attached itself to their left forearm, and small wings quickly unfolded from the backs of the Mark Twos. The extra material needed to create the shield and wings was pulled from other sections of the Franxx drastically reducing the bulky frame of the Mark Two. X007 was always put in slight awe every time he watched the quick transformation. In a matter of seconds his squad mates Franxx went from looking like large bulky knights…to angles of war. Because of this X007 and the others had unofficially named putting their Mark Twos into a full power state "Valkyrie mode".

X007 couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy in his chest as he looked at his squad mates fully awakened Mark Twos. As a solo pilot this transformation was something he was unable to perform as the Mark Twos system would not allow Valkyrie mode unless there were two pilots present. Sure he knew a way to override the system and go into Valkyrie mode solo. But trying to pilot in Valkyrie mode by himself would tear his body apart in a matter of seconds. But X007s jealous feelings didn't stem from the shield on their arm or the fact that all the limiters on the Mark Twos had been lifted allowing them to be even faster and stronger than their previous form…he was most jealous of their wings. Those wings allowed the Mark Twos to take to the sky and fight opponents in the air if needed…without those wings he was grounded, just a crippled bird unable to join his squad mates in the air.

X007 was actually glad to hear Alphas voice come across the comm link and give him something to focus on other than the strings of jealousy pulling at his heart.

"So it looks like the lab rats still had a few tricks up their sleeves after all! Maybe things really will be exciting! What's the matter X007? Not going to join your friends?" Alpha mocked.

X007 stood there in silence feeling his emotions turn away from his jealous heart and back to the burning anger that had seated itself firmly in his soul.

"I wonder…can you not transform because you are a solo pilot?" Alpha questioned. "It must be a real shame to not have a partner…what happened to yours I wonder?"

X007 grit his teeth so hard he thought they might crack. But once again he did not respond to Alpha choosing to remain silent…he was done talking. X007 slowly reached his right hand back and tightened his hand on the hilt of his sword. As he slowly pulled the sword from its sheath the eerie grinding noise it made pierced the air as a direct threat to alpha. Once fully drawn X007 allowed the sword to hang by his side as the sun glimmered off of its magnificent magma energy blade.

"Alright it appears everyone is now ready!" Nana quickly chimed in "Pilots…ready…set…."

X007 brought his sword up to eye level as he switched to a two handed grip. He slid his left foot behind him and allowed a slight flex in his knees. As he zoned his focus in on Alpha all he could hear were his deep and controlled breaths and the steady beating of his heart ringing in his ears…the world slowly faded away around him until there was nothing left but him and Alpha…he had every intention of finishing this quickly.

"Begin!" Nanas voice rang out across the barren wasteland

Without missing a beat X007 activated the rear thrusters on the Mark Two and sent the Franxx sailing towards Alpha quickly closing in the distance. Much to his surprise Alpha had chosen the same opening move and was coming straight at him at an incredible pace.

Once X007 was in range Alpha thrust his spear at him…but it was too late X007 was already bringing his sword up to parry. As Alpha extended his arm X007 caught the tip of his spear with the side of his sword changing its angle slightly so it would pass harmlessly to his side. As Alphas spear grinded along the side of X007s sword a smile slowly crept across X007s lips. Alpha was carrying too much momentum and at this rate would rush past him allowing him to counter….he had him!

"Sorry Pal" X007 thought to himself as he rotated his Franxx on its heels and brought his sword edgewise. He spun the Mark Two in a full circle with the intention of catching Alpha from behind with his blade. But as X007 finished his turn Alpha quickly tucked and rolled his Franxx to avoid X007s blade, at the end of his roll Alpha pivoted his Franxx to face X007 bringing his spear up to a ready position.

X007 was dumb struck…how...how had Alpha dodged his attack? Alpha shouldn't have been able to keep up with his advanced speed and reflexes. X007 should have been able to stay one step ahead of him and in return Alpha shouldn't have been able to read his movements…his hit should have landed…did Alpha simply luck out?

X007 took a quick look around the battle field. X001 and X010 were in the middle of parrying their own spear thrust and then quickly flipped their wrist and stabbed at their opponent only for their blade to be dodged. And X004 and X009 had obviously had their overhead strike blocked by the shaft of their opponents spear and were struggling to gain the upper hand. X007 could feel his heart begin to race…the 9s were fast enough and strong enough to keep pace with them…who the hell were they?

X007 didn't have any time to think on the subject as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Alpha had lunged his spear at him once more, X007 cocked his head to the left narrowly avoiding a direct spearhead to the face. He stabbed upward in an attempt to catch Alpha in the torso with his own blade but Alpha quickly brought the end of his spear down and parried X007s blade. X007 used the momentum of the parry to throw a spinning heel kick at Alpha who had already moved his Franxx back out of the way. At this point X007 did not expect the kick to land but used it to gain some much needed distance. As he squared back up with Alpha X007 cursed lightly under his breath…this was obviously not going to be as easy as he imagined.

Without giving X007 a chance to catch his breath Alpha lunged at him once more. This time X007 was ready and was able to side step and avoid the head of Alphas spear, without hesitation X007 brought his sword down hard onto Alphas spear jamming the spear head into the ground. With a quick flick of his wrist X007 turned his blade edge wise and slid it up the shaft of the spear straight for Alphas Franxx. Alphas Franxx bent over backwards allowing the blade to pass cleanly over it.

As X007 felt his blade pass harmlessly through the air he tried to use his momentum to finish spinning himself around. However Alpha was able to anticipate his reaction and delivered a swift kick to X007s Mark Two knocking him off balance.

X007 quickly steadied himself but it was too late Alpha had already retrieved his spear and had leapt through the air and was swinging his spear in a downward arch. X007 quickly brought his sword up to block the attack.

The sound of Magma energy striking magma energy rang through the air as their weapons collided. X007 felt the shockwave from the initial impact surge through his arm, and he was actually straining against the pressure from Alphas strength as he pushed to try and move X007s sword. How could Alpha be this strong?

X007 felt something bump into the back of his Mark Two as he held back Alpha. He took a quick glance over his shoulder and was surprised to see that it was X004 and X007 pressed with their back to his as they struggled to hold off their own opponent. X004s voice came over their private comm link.

"Hey! Fancy seeing you here X007!" the strain in his voice apparent.

"I was thinking how crazy it was to see you here as well!" X007 responded "I thought you would have won by now!"

"Really guys? Do you think now is the time to be goofing off?" X009 chastised them both.

"X009 is right." X001 cut in. "If you guys are able to chit chat then I know you are holding back."

"Yeah your right." X004 agreed "I don't know who they hell these guys are but they are way stronger than any normal pilot should be…looks like holding back won't be an option." A serious tone weaving its way into his normally playful personality.

X007 bit down on his lip slightly as he continued to hold back Alphas spear. Of course he was holding back…they all were. Normally they wouldn't fight at their full strength even when sparring with one another. Pushing themselves to hard would only increase the damage done to their bodies while piloting the incredibly strenuous Mark Twos. Normally for them holding back wasn't a problem…but if they wanted to win the 9s weren't going to give them much of a choice.

"Alright then let's fight like we mean it! X004 X009 on my mark use your boosters to shoot up over their spear and Ill duck down under Alphas and hopefully that will jumble them up for a moment!" X007 shouted

"Works for me!" X004 responded

"Same here!" X009 fired back

"Ready…set….now!"

X007 quickly ducked his Mark Two under alphas spear as X004 and X009 boosted up. A quick smile came across X007s face as he saw his plan working in action. Both of the 9s spears connected with each other causing each to be knocked off balance for a moment. X007 brought his Mark Two from its kneeling position and landed a perfect uppercut to the chin of Alphas Franxx knocking it into the air.

X007 quickly whirled around afraid maybe X004 and X009s opponent would take the opportunity to attack him. Thankfully his squad mates had already engaged their opponent once more and had their full attention. X007 turned to face Alpha who had already brought his Franxx back on its feet. This time X007 made the first move lunging his Franxx at Alpha he quickly activated the boosters on his back closing the distance at a break neck pace. He brought his right arm across his body and put all of his strength into his movements as his brought it back across in a sideways slash.

X007 cursed as he felt his blade once again pass harmlessly through the air. Alpha had vaulted his Franxx over top of X007 and avoided the attack all together. X007 quickly whirled his Franxx around to see Alpha land squarely in between the other 9s. X007 noticed a slight movement to his left as his right as his squad mates appeared by his side. Their Mark Twos were so fast in Valkyrie mode he was surprised the 9s were able to keep up at all.

Once again both sides were faced off against one another. X007 could tell his breathing was getting heavy and he was starting to feel the familiar burn in his muscles. All the time spent talking beforehand had eaten away precious minutes of his piloting time, and even though they had only been fighting the 9s for a short time he was having to really push himself in order to keep up. Even though all of his months of training had allowed him to solo pilot he knew his body wouldn't be able to take much more of this…and once he reached his limit he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with Alpha…even now he was trying to avoid it but he had no other option….he was really going to have to go at 100%

"Hey guys not trying to alarm anyone but I'm not sure how much longer I can go." X007 informed everyone

"You're not the only one X007. We are starting to feel the pressure in here as well." X004 responded.

"I can't seem to catch my breath either." X001 stated through labored breath.

"X010 are you ok? You have been really quiet this whole fight…it's not like you." X009 questioned.

X007 realized that she was right it was out of character for X010 to stay so silent for so long.

 _Silence_

"X010?" X007 questioned softly

"I'm….fine…" X010 managed to get out between breaths.

X007 didn't necessarily believe her. He knew the strain of piloting in Valkyrie mode had to be incredible even for two pilots…but he wasn't going to push her on the subject. If she said she was ok then he would just have to trust her.

"Alright it's obvious we don't have much time…we have to make our next few moments count!" X001 chimed in. "Give them everything you've got!" he screamed as he launched his Franxx at the 9s.

X007 followed suit along with X004 and X009. Both his squad mates Franxx quickly rushed ahead of X007 the extra speed from Valkyrie mode becoming extremely apparent. They both swung their swords at the 9s who were able to block the attack but were not able to hold back the full force of the Mark Twos and were sent sliding backwards digging their heels in to the dirt in a futile attempt to hold back their attackers.

As X007 saw his squad mates push back the 9s with their attack he refocused his attention on Alpha who was readying himself for X007s attack. X007 raised his sword and then brought it back down will all the strength he could muster. Alpha was able to successfully block the attack with his spear, but as their weapons connected X007 pushed with all the strength left in his body. His muscles begged him to let up but X007 noticed Alphas Franxx starting to slide backwards across the ground unable to match the force X007 was exerting.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" X007 let out a loud shout as he put his entire weight behind his blade breaking the connection between their weapons and sending Alphas Franxx sliding across the ground digging its heels into the dirt doing its best to stop.

A surge of confidence ran through X007 as he watched Alphas Franxx. The 9s were obviously very skilled pilots and were incredibly strong and fast…but when push came to shove X007 realized that he and his squad mates were stronger…if they fought at their true strength the 9s couldn't match them!

"Two Franxx have been removed from the match!" Nanas voice broke over the comm. "X004 and X009 along with their opponents 9 Beta and 9 Eta can no longer continue!"

What!? X004 and X009 had been taken out!? X007 took a frantic look around the battle field and quickly spotted them over to his left. They were standing across from their opponents holding a broken sword in their hand, looking over at the 9s he noticed that their spear was laying in two pieces on the ground. X007 breathed a quick sigh of relief…being removed from the match for a broken weapon was much better than the alternative. Besides the 9s they had been fighting had been removed as well which meant that they were all still neck and neck.

X007 noticed movement from the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see Alpha coming at him ready to lunge his spear once more.

"Not this time." X007 growled to himself.

As Alpha closed in and stabbed with his spear, X007 did something he hoped Alpha would least expect. X007 reached out with his left hand and grabbed the shaft of Alphas spear stopping it before the blade was able to hit its mark.

X007 groaned as he tightened his grip on the spear shaft. He could feel his body wanting to quit and he was quickly losing the strength in his limbs. But he pressed on and held the spear tightly as Alpha tried to jerk it away their Franxx groaning with the pressure from their battle of strength.

X007 quickly brought his right hand across making a slashing motion with his sword. For the moment his grip on Alphas spear was holding and he was going to take this opportunity to attack his opponent while he couldn't move. However X007s blade passed through empty air and the pressure on his left arm was immediately lifted as Alpha jumped back to avoid X007s blade.

X007 quickly rotated the spear in his hand so that he was now holding it with the spear head pointed out. He didn't have much longer he could already feel himself slowing down and his strength was rapidly leaving him…but he had a plan…one last shot…it had to work!

As soon as Alphas Franxx feet touched the ground X007 launched the spear with everything he had straight at his opponents' chest. The small shock wave created by the force of the throw was followed by a loud popping from X007s shoulder. X007s winced slightly in pain as his shoulder dislocated itself from its socket but he did his best to brush it off, intensely watching Alphas next move.

As the spear rocketed through the air Alpha was able to successfully dodge the throw….but barely…and his quick movements along with not having the chance to fully adjust himself from dodging X007s first attack left him off balance.

"Now!" X007 screamed inside his head as he turned his Mark Twos boosters to full blast and was on Alpha in an instant. He rotated the Mark Two in the air using the momentum to make up for some of the lost strength from not being able to swing with both hands. This was it! X007 began to bring his sword around to deliver the final blow. There was no way Alpha was dodging this! They were stronger than the 9s! They were faster than the 9s! They would win! Papa would see! He would learn where Zero Two was! Finally things were looking up!

X007 brought his arm around ready to finally feel the satisfying impact of his blade on Alphas Franxx. But X007s eyes grew wide as his arm entered his field of vision…in place of where his sword should have been…was nothing but the open hand of his Mark Two.

"No!" X007 screamed "Not again!"

X007 tried to land his Mark Two from its twist through the air but the sight of losing his sword had caused him to completely lose focus. That added with his failing muscles caused his Franxx to go crashing across the ground.

X007 let out a small groan once his Franxx had stopped rolling and he started to slowly pick himself up off the ground. His muscles burned as his tried to push himself up off the ground with his one good arm…he left arm dangling uselessly by his side. He couldn't quit…not here…not now…his squad mates needed him!

He was able to make it up to one knee before he noticed the shadow looming over him. X007 looked up only to be greeted by the blade of his sword being held in front of his face. X007 drooped his head looking back down at the ground in defeat. He already knew what had happened…somewhere during his final strike the nerves in his hand had messed up causing him to unknowingly open his hand and drop his sword…which Alpha had obviously retrieved during his amazing landing….

X007 grit his teeth as he heard Nanas voice come over the comm. "X007 has been beaten in battle by 9 Alpha and 9 Zeta and has been removed from the fight!"

Tears began to well up in X007s eyes as he slammed his fist into the Mark Twos cockpit. Not only had he let his squad mates down and embarrassed himself in front of Papa…but now he wouldn't be able to force Alpha to tell him about Zero Two! All this time with nothing but memories…and then finally a little hope was dangled in front of his face only to slip though his fingers as he reached for it!

"Damn It!" X007 screamed as he slammed his right fist into the cockpit again.

" 9 Gamma and 9 Theta have been beaten in battle by X001 and X010 and have been removed from the fight!" Nana announced over the Comm.

X007s head perked up at this news and he quickly scanned the area for X001 and X010. He finally saw them a decent distance off over to his right standing with their foot on their opponents chest pinning the 9s flat on their back with a sword in their face. X001 and X010 removed the foot of their Mark Two from the 9s and turned to face Alpha. In one quick movement the Mark Twos wings spread wide and began quickly flying at full speed straight at their new opponent.

X007s heart jumped slightly in his chest. There was still a chance! X001 was the best fighter in the squad! There was no way Alpha would be able to beat X001 and X010 in Valkyrie mode! He may have failed but together as a squad they would win this!

But just as his squad mates were about to close the remaining distance and engage Alpha…the light faded from the Mark Twos eyes and it came crashing down to the earth below…

X007 felt his heart stop in his chest as X001 and X010s Mark Two came to a sliding halt. His world went silent…the only sound coming from the howling wind as it whipped across the waste land….no one moved a muscle…everything and everyone was still….

"X001! X010!" X009s scream pierced through the wasteland and straight into X007s soul.

Alpha turned and began making his way over to where the lifeless Mark Two lay sword in hand.

"Hey where the hell do you think your going!?" X007 screamed.

"To finish my opponent of course." Alpha replied calmly. "For all I know this could be a diversion…the only way I will know for sure is to finish them."

"Like Hell you will!" X007 growled as he tried to stand his Mark Two up, only to have it crash back down on one knee. X007 grit his teeth in frustration…it was no use his body was done, his Franxx wasn't going anywhere.

As Alpha approached X001 and X010s Mark Two he began to raise the stolen sword to deliver his final blow.

"That's enough Alpha!" The Captains voice rang out across the comm

"But Captain…." Alpha protested.

"No it's over! X001 and X010 can no longer continue…you win…congratulations you lucked out this time." The Captain grumbled.

X007 perked his head up…did the Captain really just tell Alpha that he was lucky that he didn't fight X001 and X010? Did he really believe that they would have beaten them? X007 struggled to comprehend what he was hearing…the Captain very rarely ever praised them…it wasn't how he did things.

"We need medical units and two Franxx retrieval teams out here stat!" Nanas voice demanded over the public comms. "We have at least two downed Franxx and the condition is unknown on a couple of the pilots….get out here on the double!"

X007 refocused his attention to the unmoving Franxx. X007 could feel his heart begin to race as there was still no sign of life coming from the Franxx. What had happened!? Why would they go down like that!? The only other time he had seen something like this was when…a pilot died….

His heart began to race faster and faster his body sucking in air as quickly as it could trying to keep up with his ever rising heart rate…he felt like he was drowning. No….no that couldn't have been what happened! He could feel the sweat slowly forming on his face the tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"Come on guys…..come on" he whispered to himself in the cockpit. There was nothing else he could do. Even if he was able to make it over to them he would be useless….all he could do right now was wait for the medical team, and pray to Papa they were ok.

 _PSHHHHHHHHHHHHH_

X007s heart went from beating full blast to coming to a dead stop as the cockpit of X001 and X010s Mark Two began to open. Holding his breath he kept his eyes locked on the Franxx urging it to open faster to see who would still be standing inside.

"Would you let go of me X001! I told you I am fine!" X010s voice broke out across the silence of the wasteland. X007 breathed out a huge sigh of relief, normally he hated it when X010 got worked up and started screaming. But in this moment her screams were nothing but a sweet song in his ears.

As the pair stepped out into the open air X007 could see that X010 was having trouble walking on her own and X001 had thrown her arm around his shoulders to help support her. X007s face grew solemn as he got his first good look at X010. Sweat covered her body, her eyes looked lifeless, unable to stand or walk on her own….and a small stream of blood slowly dripped from the corner of her mouth. X007 knew these signs all to well, X010 had pushed herself to hard and her body was shutting down. If she had piloted like that for much longer there was a high probability she wouldn't be alive.

X007 could feel his heart begin to ache in his chest, as he looked from X010 to his own left shoulder which had been badly dislocated and then down to the scar on his right forearm. Even after all the experiments….all the hard training….all the work they had put in as a squad….it was obvious they were still so fragile….

"I said let me go X001!" X010s voice breaking X007 from his inner thoughts.

"That's enough X010." X001 replied calmly "Its extremely obvious you are not ok. So quit trying to act tough and let me help you."

"Hmph" X010 groaned as she looked away from X001 who simply gave her a deep sigh and a shake of his head in return.

"X009…X004." Nana called across the comm link. "The medical team is on their way but if you could scoop up X001 and X010 in your Franxx and meet them half way it would be much quicker."

"Yes Mam!" The two replied already rushing their Franxx over to their squad mates.

"What about you X007…do you have any injuries?" Nana questioned

"Just a dislocated shoulder nothing life threatening." He responded.

"Well if it can wait I would prefer the staffs full attention is on X010 right now. Will you be ok waiting for the Franxx retrieval team to pick you up and then heading to the infirmary on your own?"

"Yeah that won't be a problem."

"Excellent!" Nana threw him a beaming smile "Thanks for your cooperation!"

"What about you 9s? Any injuries to report?" The Captain grumbled

"The squad has already reported back to me Captain and I can happily say there are no injuries to report." Alpha beamed.

"Alright then. Alpha give X007 back his sword and everyone gather your things and return back to the carrier for departure. This training exercise is officially over."

Alpha turned his Franxx back towards X007 and began to slowly make his way over. X007 looked over to see X009 and X004 rushing off into the distance. He took a deep breath trying to allow himself to relax…he hated this feeling. He wanted to be with his squad mates they were all he had left…but there was nothing he could do now but wait.

Alpha dropped X007s sword blade first into the ground, its magma blade shining brightly in the sun. Alpha then lowered his Franxx eye level with X007s. There was a loud rush as the cockpit opened up revealing Alpha standing arms crossed a smug smile wide across his face.

X007s eyes widened with shock as he looked over the short blonde boy standing in front of him. How could someone so small have so much strength? What in the world was he X007 wondered to himself? As these questions ran quickly through his mind the realization of what had just happened struck him square in the gut….they had lost….the one opportunity he had of learning of Zero Twos location had been ripped from his hands…the single bit of hope he once had was gone. Stolen from him by the smiling individual standing before him, X007 instinctively tightened his hands into fists as a fresh wave of anger washed over him. As his stomach turned to knots he thought he might get sick right there in the cockpit.

"Come out and chat with me X007." Alpha mused. "I want to see the face of the great X007 I have heard so much about…."

X007 breathed an aggravated sigh as he released the lock on the cockpit and stepped out to the front of the Mark Two. Holding his injured shoulder with his right hand he squinted his eyes slightly as they adjusted to the sunlight.

Alpha let out a small laugh "My my arnt you a sight!"

X007 held his tongue he was sure Alpha was right. X007 was barely able to stand his tired muscles threatening to give way from under him at any moment, holding his damaged arm and covered in sweat. He was sure he looked like a mess, but his hatred for Alpha only increased as he noticed Alpha hadn't even broken a sweat….

"You are definitely not the knight in shining armor I imagined you to be." Alpha snickered "Maybe Zero Twos memory isn't what she thinks it is, how unfortunate." Alpha placed a hand over his mouth and whispered. "Don't worry I'll let her keep living in her little dream, I won't tell her about the mess you have become."

X007 could feel his anger begin to rise again…Alpha was obviously just mocking him and gloating in his victory.

"However seeing you like this has made me feel pity for you. I have decided I will also answer your question even though you lost."

X007 felt his heart spark to life in his chest. But he tried to not let his excitement show on the outside surely Alpha wasn't serious and was just trying to play with his emotions once more.

"You were wondering how I knew Zero Two correct? Well the answer is actually quite simple…she pilots with us now!" Alpha gloated to X007.

No….that couldn't be true. Why would Zero Two pilot with the 9s? X007 questioned to himself. Alpha had to be lying…trying to get him worked up again. He was trying to put on his best poker face but his shock and disbelief must have shown through as Alpha continued on.

"I am sure you don't believe me but its true. Papa had her assigned as a member of his Special Forces unit and gave her the name Iota. She is officially a 9."

"I don't believe you." X007 mumbled "There is no way Zero Two would ever associate herself with the likes you of."

"Oh you think so?" Alpha quickly replied back. "If that's true then how do you explain how I know all about you? And the fact you were a solo pilot and that you had a relationship with Zero Two? You know its true X007 no matter how hard you try to not believe me…deep down you know I am being honest. And to add to that the Zero Two that I know must be very different from the one you know."

X007 opened his mouth to say more but Alpha raised a hand to stop him. "I believe I have been more than generous in providing you with information. Don't press your luck with getting info on Zero Two…I have already had my fun.

"Why me? X007 growled.

"Excuse me?"

"I asked why me Alpha? Why in the world are you so interested in me? Ever since you got here you have been targeting me. Is it simply because I know Zero Two?"

Alpha threw his head back and let out a long loud laugh. "Don't flatter yourself X007. I couldn't care less about you or the fact that you know Zero Two! Papa simply asked me to keep a close eye on you while I was here. That is the only reason I targeted you. I simply just decided to have some fun while I was at it is all."

"Wait Papa asked you to keep an eye on me!?" X007 exclaimed

"Yes but I don't know why exactly if that's what you were going to ask me next." Alpha replied in an almost bored tone.

X007 did not respond. He simply stood there staring at Alpha as the howling winds blew between them. Papa was interested in him….interested enough that he asked someone from his own personal detail to keep an eye on him…but why?

Alpha broke the silence between them. "It appears you don't know why either…interesting." was all Alpha said as he turned back into his Franxx quickly closing the cockpit behind him. Alphas Franxx then rose back to its full height and made its way back over to the Franxx Carrier and loaded itself up inside and the door began to slowly close behind him.

X007 turned his attention back to the Captain who had been watching their interaction from the cat walk. As their eyes locked the Captain simply gave X007 a nod and turned and made his way into the carrier. As the carrier began to take off into the air X007 couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed. Even though the Captain hadn't officially said anything X007 knew that he was going off to over see the training of the 9s. It wasn't that he necessarily liked or would miss the Captain but he couldn't help but be upset by the fact they after all the time and effort he had put into them as a squad he would just up and leave them like that.

But his mind did not stay on the Captain long as he began mulling over what Alpha had told him on once more…was it simply because he was piloting a Mark Two by himself? He continued to ponder over the different reasons Papa might have as he stared out into the vast waste land the watching the Franxx retrieval ships slowly closing in on his location.

 _Beep….Beep…Beep_

X007 groaned slightly to himself he was really getting tired of hearing the sounds of the medical equipment beeping away as various doctors continued to look over him and run various tests. He had been through so much of this in his life he was afraid the noise would be slowly burned into his mid for all eternity.

"How much longer." He tiredly asked one of the Doctors.

"Not much longer X007 we are just about done." One of them quickly answered.

Yeah that's what you said two hours ago X007 quietly thought to himself. He gazed down to look at his left arm that had been placed in a sling. He thought he would just get his shoulder reset have his arm placed in a sling and be on his way. But instead the doctors wanted to run every test they could imagine on him while he was already here…it had been hours and it was getting late. His body was still sore from the fight before and he was getting tired….and slightly irritable. And to make matters worse he had still been unable to get the conversation with Alpha out of his mind it.

A guard appeared over at the door of the room and motioned one of the doctors over, they spoke briefly and quietly, once they were finished the doctor walked over to X007.

"You are free to go X007. But Nana has requested to see you in the command center."

"Alright. Thanks." X007 quickly replied as he hopped out of his chair and made his way out of the room. He was sure the meeting was related to the events of the day. And he felt a slight nervousness begin to awake within his stomach as he made his way down the hallways to the command center…he had a bad feeling the news would not be good.

As X007 entered into the command center he was slightly shocked to see he squad mates all sitting there waiting for him along with Nana at the front of the room. He quickly noticed that X010 was not with them and felt anxiety flood his body as he quickly questioned them on her whereabouts.

"Where is X010?"

"Relax X007" X001 calmly answered him "She is fine she is just resting."

X007 couldn't help but breath a huge sigh of relief as the anxiety left his body…he was so thankful she was ok.

"I'm glad the doctors finally released you X007. Please have a seat with your squad mates." Nana directed him.

X007 did as he was instructed and sat over next to X009 letting out a small groan as he sat, his muscles wanted to do as little work as possible right now.

Nana looked back down at her clipboard before speaking again. "After the events of today I regret to inform you all that it has been decided that you are still not ready to take on any live missions."

"Hold on what!?" X004 erupted. "You mean after everything we have done all the extra training time we put in and holding our own with Papas own elite unit you are still denying us from becoming full pilots!?"

"That's enough X004." X001 scolded him "Calm down."

"No!" X004 shouted back "We don't even know who she is X001! She certainly doesn't know us! Who is she to say…."

"I said that's enough X004!" X001 exploded. At the sound of X001 screaming X004 and the rest of the room were shocked into silence. "You say we held our own against the 9s? Look at us! You and X009 broke your sword and are just as tired as the rest of us. X007 dislocated his shoulder and X010….." X001s voice trailed off.

X004 gripped his hands into fists and spoke quietly. "I know…ok…I get it…I just…" tears began to show in X004s eyes as he took his seat staring at the floor.

"X001 is right." Nana cut in. "You all performed extremely well today and should be incredibly proud of yourselves! But unfortunately as a squad you suffered too many injuries for Papa to give his blessing on having you out in the field. Your skills as a squad and pilots are not in question here…its your health that is causing problems. There is something Dr. Franxx is working on to help the situation but I haven't heard anything more than that…I'm sorry."

The parasites sat without saying a word the silence slowly filling the room. X007 could feel the tension in the room run through his veins like electricity and it made him shudder.

"I know you all have a lot on your minds right now and I am sure you are very tired and it's getting late. We can go over the technical details later, you are dismissed for the night. I will see you tomorrow…Thank You."

As they all rose out of their seats to leave Nana quickly interrupted them once more. "Actually X007 could you please stay? There is something we need to discuss."

X007s squad mates turned to look at him and as he met their eyes all he could do was simply shrug his shoulders to show he was just as confused as they were. None of them questioned him and one by one they left the room.

X007 turned himself to face Nana…he had lied to his squad mates…he had a pretty good idea what this was about.

"So X007 when was your last incident?" Nana questioned him looking down at her clipboard.

"A few months ago." X007 replied simply

"I hate to ask but Dr. Franxx instructed me specifically to let him know how the nerves in your hand were doing." Nana stated looking up at him. "Looking at your reports it seems your incidents are getting less frequent but are still causing a problem."

X007 glanced down at his scar. She was referring to how the nerves in his hand still didn't act completely like they should. Causing them to sometimes having a mind of their own resulting incidents like today where he dropped his sword without realizing it…it understood that this issue was no little matter and was quite a dangerous problem…but he really wanted to push past it.

"After giving my report to Dr. Franxx he has instructed me to let you know that he is coming to inspect you personally…until then I am afraid you are just to much of a liability to your squad and will be suspended from piloting until Dr. Franxx evaluates you."

X007 gripped his fist and grit his teeth. "Yeah well that's not the first time." He responded trying to keep his voice even as he left the room without being properly dismissed.

He made his way down the hallway a walking cocktail of emotions. He understood where Nana and Dr. Franxx were coming from he knew how dangerous and how much of a liability his problem could cause for the squad….but pulling him away from the squad again wasn't the right answer….he was sure of that.

As he entered his room he laid down on his bed allowing his muscles to relax as his mind wandered back and forth from how he felt about being suspended from being piloting…again. X007 habitually looked at the scar on his arm and then suddenly bolted up in bed. His arm began to shake as he stared at the scar that marked his arm. What if this was the reason that Papa was so interested in him? Papa was sure to know about his nerve issues and how they had not quite resolved themselves yet. X007 placed his good hand on his face in frustration as he lay back down in the bed. That must be it…Papa wasn't interested in him because he was something special…but because he needed to make a decision on what to do with him…he was damaged goods. X007 tossed and turned in bed agonizing over how Alpha was sure to report what had happened during their fight until finally his exhaustion caught up to him and he drifted off to sleep.

X007 opened his eyes in darkness and quickly looked around before realizing where he was….he had been having the same dream every night since Dr. Franxx had sedated him during his evaluation. He once again closed his eyes and breathed slowly waiting to hear the voice start calling to him….but as the moments passed all he heard was silence. He opened his eyes to see the sakura tree illuminated in front of him. He waited to see the figure of Zero Two emerge from behind the tree, smile and then reach out to him just like she did every night.

But tonight no one came….it was just him and the tree….alone.


	5. Chapter 5: Hearts of Heros

_Bang….Bang….Bang!_

"X007 wake up! Come on!"

 _Bang…Bang…Bang!_

X007 bolted upright in his bed startled awake by the banging on his bedroom door.

"X007 Wake Up!"

"I'm up! I'm up! Geez!" he shouted back to the closed door sitting upright in the bed and placing his feet on the floor rubbing the sleep from his eyes. What time was it? It had to be early. What in the world could X009 want at this time of the morning?

"X007!" X009 shouted banging on his door once again.

X007 bit his tongue, what in the hell was going on? He quickly rose up from his bed and made his way across the room pressing the button on the wall his door opened with a loud hiss brining him face to face with X009. Her eyes were wide, her breath heavy and she held her hands close to her chest…something obviously had her extremely worked up.

"I am up X009. What in the world could you possibly need from me this early in the morning?"

X009 answered him between breaths "We have to….meet Nana…in the command center….she says it urgent!"

"Whoa…Whoa…slow down there X009." X007 replied placing a hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy and catch your breath. And tell me what's happening." X007 could feel himself loosening up a bit. While it was strange that Nana would summon them so early to the command center, it didn't take much to get X009 worked up so it was probably nothing. But either way she would have to calm down before he could find out for sure.

X009 quickly sucked in a couple of deep breaths and steadied herself before responding to X007. "X001 came to my room and told me Nana and a few guards woke him up and told him that something urgent had come up and that everyone was to meet in the command center ASAP. So he came and woke me up and told me to come get you while he went and got the others."

"That must be some sort of mistake." X007 responded. "You know I haven't been allowed to train with you all since we fought with the 9s." Dr. Franxx had still not visited the facility to evaluate his nerve damage and clear him to continue training.

X009 stared him down with steady eyes "She said everyone X007."

X007 breathed out a tired sigh. "Alright fine, let me get changed. Go on ahead and tell the others I am coming."

X009 gave him a quick nod and went running off down the corridor leaving X007 standing alone in the door way.

X007 turned back and walked into his room rubbing the back of his head still trying to fully wake up. He walked over to his closet and took a brief look at himself in the mirror. Only a few weeks had passed since he had suffered the injury to his shoulder in the fight with the 9s. Originally he had been told that an injury like his could take upwards of two months to heal. However he was already out of his sling and back to using his shoulder at full strength.

All of the doctors had been astounded with his incredible recovery time, telling him that they had never witnessed someone heal so quickly, and asked him if he had done anything special to help the healing along. He decided not to tell them that he had been noticing over the last few months that he was recovering from fatigue and other minor injuries accumulated during training at an impressive pace, he really didn't want to give them any excuses to run more tests on him…but even he had to admit that healing from something like this so quickly was on its own level of strange and left him curious as to what the source to this change was. Honestly he expected someone from the squad to comment on his healing progress…but none of them even mentioned it when he showed up one day without his sling. He caught them giving him a few strange glances but nothing more…almost as if they were afraid to bring it up to him.

Maybe he would mention it to Dr. Franxx the next time he saw him? Perhaps he could provide some insight as to what was going on? After all he was the one that came up with project X and he probably knew X007s body better than he did. And he did trust the doctor….sort of.

But that was a problem for another day. With a quick sigh X007 changed into his grey training clothes and made his way out of the room into the corridor towards the command center.

X007 let out a small yawn and stretched his arms out over his head as he walked down the lonely hallways of the facility pondering why Nana would want to include him in whatever was going on. Whatever it was it had to be something pretty serious to get everyone together on such short notice this early in the morning and to include him before being cleared by Dr. Franxx. X007 quickened his pace slightly as frustration and curiosity began to set in. Where was the doctor anyway? It had been a few weeks since his incident and he had yet to visit the facility! Not only was he in need of an evaluation…but the doctor really needed to look at X010. She was extremely stubborn and continued it insist she was fine, but he had seen to many of their other squad mates lose their lives to a body shut down to just take her word for it. X007 bit his lip in frustration, the doctor always seemed to be around at the most unorthodox of times…but now that they really needed him…he was nowhere to be found!

X007 could feel a heavy tension in the air as he stepped through the door into the command center. Nana was standing at the front of the room with her clipboard in hand, while all of his squad mates stood in silence on the lowest level of the floor right in front of her. No one looked over in his direction or even acknowledged that he had entered the room as X007 made his way over to take his place by his squad. As he walked in front of the group he felt his heart instantly sink as he caught a glimpse of X010 out the corner of his eye.

Thankfully she no longer needed any support to walk or stand and was getting around under her own strength…however the signs of fatigue were still extremely apparent. Her skin was slightly paler than usual, and her bright red hair had lost much of its shine. All of the color seemed to be completely drained from her body and it was obvious how tired she was just trying to stand with the others on her own. But what concerned X007 the most was the look in X010s eyes…eyes that were once filled with a bright fire that captured her spirited personality so well only reflected the faint embers of what was once there…very little life left was left in that far off gaze of hers. These were definitely early signs that her body was giving up…that the genetic modifications were taking their final toll on her body.

His stomach began to churn as he brought the painful memory of X005 back to the surface….laying in a bed in the infirmary the same dull look in hers eyes clinging on to the last bit of life. X007 and the others refusing to leave her bed side, hoping with everything in them that she would make a recovery…until finally one day the last bit of light faded from her eyes. X007 was barely able to hold back the tears that were straining to be released brought forward by this painful memory. The more time X007 spent dwelling on the past the more agitated he became…X010 was not that bad off yet, history didn't have to repeat itself…she needed to see Dr. Franxx.

However the small fire that was fueling X007s frustration was being slowly extinguished by a steady drip of concern as the room continued to be filled with tension as the moments of silence dragged on. What in the world were they doing here? As Nana looked up from her clipboard X007 felt his body tense up on its own as he saw the look that was in Nanas eyes. He had never seen this look from her before…whatever it was…it must have been far worse than he could have imagined.

"Good morning children" Nana greeted them in a no nonsense tone. "I do apologize for the rude awakening. But I can assure you the matter is quite urgent."

Nana turned and activated the display in front of them. X007 quickly took in the image that appeared as the screen quickly came to life. The display showed two plantations that appeared to be in the middle of a KISSING sequence.

As soon as the image was displayed Nana quickly began filling them in on the details. "What you see in front of you are plantations #197 and #233 that preformed a successful KISSING operation yesterday. During the sequence the Franxx squads of both plantations were able to fend of the multiple Conrad class and the Single Moho class Klaxosaurs that attempted to attack. Everything was seemingly going according to the book."

Nana paused and quickly hit a button on the control pad of the monitor and the screen flicked over to the image of a single plantation sitting alone sticking out like a sore thumb against the barren wasteland.

"However once the KISSING operation was complete plantation #197s mobile gear had a malfunction and it is currently unable to move from its location. The crew on board is attempting repairs on the plantations mobility unit as we speak and hope to have it repaired within a few days."

"I'm sorry I am failing to understand what this has to do with us exactly." X004 interrupted seeming slightly agitated.

"I am getting there X004 I promise." Nana replied calmly "As I stated before I wouldn't have gathered you all together so quickly if it wasn't urgent."

"You're right I'm sorry." X004 raised his hands apologetically. "I'm just really tired and honestly this whole situation has me pretty stressed out." X007 and the others silently mumbled their agreement as X004 spoke.

"I apologize for all of the extra details but I want you to know the entire situation so that you aren't left in the dark." Nana replied with her usual soft tone.

X004 nodded his head and gave Nana another quick apology.

Nana continued on as if X004s interruption had never really happened. "Since the plantation is immobile and stuck in the same location where it performed the KISS the defensive crew on board kept an extremely close eye on all of their radars.

Nana quickly zoomed out on the map as the data from plantation #197s radar blipped steadily across the screen revealing a small yellow dot that moved steadily closer to the planation with each blip of the radar. "And that is when they discovered this…" Nanas voice slowly trailing off at the end.

X007 could feel his heart rate slowly begin to increase, his forehead growing slightly sweaty as he grew hot around the collar slowly fidgeting his fingers back and forth across his palm his anxiety overwhelming. No!...no it couldn't be! He thought silently to himself. Even as Nana opened her mouth to speak her next words X007 already knew what she was going to say. He wanted with everything in him to be wrong about this…but deep down he knew there was no denying what that little yellow dot on the screen represented. No matter how hard he wished it he knew Nanas words were not going to change.

"Parasites…there is a confirmed Stratos class Klaxosaur heading towards plantation #197!" Nana bellowed out across the command center her voice filled with authority.

The tension that was in the air broke like shattering glass and at her words X007 could feel his knees buckle underneath him and he nearly collapsed into a heap on the floor. X009 let out a small squeal while X001 and X004 simply grit their teeth and took the full brunt of what Nana was saying. The only one in the group that didn't seem to react to the news was X010 who simply stood in silence staring at the display with her dull eyes.

"The plantation is a sitting target for the Stratos. And the Franxx pilots on board are not equipped or trained to handle this situation. At its current pace the Klaxosaur will reach the plantation sometime tomorrow afternoon. In order to reach the Plantation in time to intercept this threat you are all ordered to move out immediately! They are already loading a Franxx carrier with your Mark Twos and are waiting for your arrival in the hangar bay…dismissed!" Nana concluded as she quickly snapped to attention.

Her words bounced off the walls echoing across the silent command center and falling on the deaf ears of the parasites. X007 struggled to comprehend what she was saying as his own thoughts rattled through his mind.How many years had it been since the last sighting…3? No maybe 4? It had been so long since the last Stratos sighting that he had almost forgotten they were real. So much time had passed since the last attack, combined with the other events going on in his life he had almost forgotten what his true purpose was.

A slight look of concern and confusion flashed across Nanas face as the parasites remained silent and unmoving. "I know this is very shocking news. It has been quite some time since the last Stratos sighting. But there isn't a lot of time we really do need to get moving."

"Are you kidding me?" X004 grumbled through clenched teeth.

"Excuse me X004?" Nana asked still confused.

"I said are you kidding me!?" X004 exploded causing Nana to take a slight step back in shock. "We are told over and over again that we are not ready to take on low level missions to fight Klaxosaurs. The only real combat experience we have is fighting a Moho class…which let me remind you that we had to disobey direct orders in order to do so! And let's not forget our little "training session" with the 9s where X007 got injured and X010 barely survived! Yet here we are being told that we have to go fight a Stratos class! There's no way in hell!" X004 began taking deep breaths to try and recover from his outburst.

The room fell silent everyone taken aback and stunned at X004s outrage, the only sound to be heard was X004s labored breath as he tried to gather himself. X007 stood there in silence just as shocked as the others, this was totally out of character for X004…but as soon as X007 saw the look in his eyes he knew that this was no sudden outburst. The pleading look in X004s eyes was all too familiar; he was laying out all of his frustrations at once. It was obvious these were issues that had been bothering X004 for a very long time.

X007 averted his eyes from X004 and looked down towards the floor in frustration. He had to admit he didn't completely disagree with X004. He was right about how they were not prepared for something like this at all. Between all of them he had the most experience fighting Klaxosaurs. But 6 missions don't exactly make you an expert pilot…plus he had almost died fighting the Moho class and a Stratos was leagues above that. And to top it all off X010 was in no shape to be fighting anything. Did Papa and the rest of APE really think it was ok to ask them to go fight so unprepared like this?

X004 opened his mouth to continue his outburst but his body stiffened and he immediately went silent as X009 placed a hand on his shoulder and took a few steps forward her eyes locked to the screen in front of them.

"That's enough X004." X009 spoke softly not averting her gaze away from the screen.

"But…" X004 began to argue

"I said that's enough." Her tone slightly more stern than before. "I don't disagree with what you are saying…I don't think any of us do…and honestly I would go as far to say that even Papa would agree with you…but none of that matters."

"And why not?" X004 asked earnestly desperately seeking for an answer. X007 also looked up from the floor at X009 also eager to hear what she had to say.

"Because they need us." X009 replied in a whispered tone.

"Who needs us?" X004 questioned obviously confused.

X009 whirled around to face them. Her eyes may have been filled with tears but X007 could tell that in this moment she was emotionally the strongest out of all of them.

"The people of plantation #197!" she cried out

X007s body went ridged as a stabbing pain hit him in the chest as X009s words bounced around in his head. He was quickly filled with an overwhelming amount of shame…how could he have been so selfish? This whole time he had only been thinking of himself…not once had the people of plantation of #197 entered his mind. The citizens living in that plantation needed him and his squad mates now more than anyone else…and he had been completely ready to abandon them without a second thought….

"Those people in that plantation are stuck with no escape! And we are the only ones who can help them! This is everything we have trained for! This is everything we dreamed of! Or have you forgotten all of that?" X009 questioned them doing her best to hold back her tears. "It doesn't matter if we are prepared…and it doesn't matter how we feel…our purpose is to protect people from the Stratos…we can't turn our backs on them! I will go alone if I have to!"

X007s lips turned into a small smile as he let his head once again drop to the floor in shame. Leave it to X009 to always put others before herself he thought silently to himself. But he knew she was right, it didn't matter how they felt or what they thought of the situation…as the surviving members of project X they needed to perform their duty. But still…X007 lifted his gaze to look at X010…was she really up for something like this?

X004 clenched his fists and shook slightly with frustration for a moment before finally allowing his body to relax as he let out a deep breath. "I still don't agree with any of this…but there is no way I would ever let you go alone…I'm with you X009." X004 spoke to her with a soft smile

"So I am interested to know where I fit into all of this." X007 spoke up. "I assume since I am here my suspension is being lifted?"

"Actually no X007 until Dr. Franxx gets to look at you again you are still under suspension." Nana replied simply.

"What!? You can't be serious? If I am still under suspension then why am I here?" X007 asked growing agitated.

"Because you are going as an emergency backup." Nana responded. "The rest of the squad will be taking point and you will be there to assist only as a precaution."

"No way!" X007 fired back "This is a Stratos we are talking about! I need to be fighting with my squad!"

"I agree." X001 stated as he crossed his arms "We need everyone fighting together to have the best chance of success. X007 needs to be with us."

"I'm sorry but Papa has made his decision and thinks it's still too risky to have X007 out on the field…there is nothing more I can do."

"Well what exactly will be considered and emergency?" X007 questioned.

"If something comes up that we believe to qualify as an emergency situation I have been instructed to contact Papa for approval to put you into battle." Nana informed him pulling her clipboard close to her chest. "I understand you all are frustrated and probably have more questions, but we are wasting time standing here I can answer any other concerns you have on the way to the plantation."

"Understood…lets go everyone" X001 ordered.

X007 let out a slight grunt in frustration but fell in line behind his squad mates as they made their way out of the command center and into the hallways of the facility leading to the hangar bay.

As they made their way through the silent halls X007 wrestled with the flood of emotions he was feeling as he listened to their footsteps echoing off the floor. He should be excited about this! So why wasn't he? Why weren't any of them excited? X009 was right, ever since they were little all he and the others members of project X dreamed of was going off to fight the Stratos and to protect the plantations! And now was finally their opportunity. They could prove to everyone how much they were worth…and more importantly than that they could prove it to themselves. So why wasn't he excited? Maybe it was because he was so angry about his situation going only as a backup? The whole situation was ridiculous after all. He needed to be with his squad. They would need him for this…and if anything were to happen to one of them while he was simply watching from the sidelines…he would never be able to forgive himself! But somehow he felt like that still wasn't the reason…maybe he had seen too much…lost to many people…maybe all of that had forced him to grow up and see the world in a different way? Maybe he really had given up on being heroes….

As they made their way around the final corner that would lead them into the hangar X007 could see a bright light at the end of the hall as a rush of warm air hit his face. He couldn't help but smile slightly…the feeling of the warm air rushing in through the hangar bay door always reminded him of his first meeting with Zero Two without fail.

As they passed through the door into the hangar X007 and the others froze in place at the sight before them. At the far end of the hangar the Franxx carrier awaited them with an open bay door. And lined up shoulder to shoulder along the path to the ship were the guards of the facility each dressed in their grey military uniforms standing at perfect attention.

"Attention!" One of the guards commanded as he noticed the parasites had entered the hangar.

At his command the guards snapped their heels together and saluted them in unison as the parasites stood frozen in shocked silence.

X001 was the first to shake himself free of his trance "Nana what is all of this?" he questioned.

"Papa wanted to make sure that you were given a worthy send off from the facility! He wanted you all to know how much you are appreciated!" she responded gleefully. "He knows things have been hard for you lately. He just wants to make sure you know that you have his full support! I know it's a lot to take in but you need to get used to stuff like this! After tomorrow everyone will be talking about the heroes of the Stratos Squad!" She finished with a big smile.

X007 stood there in an awkward silence along with the rest of his squad mates who were still frozen in awe. Papa had really done this for them? Were they really this special? Did they really deserve all of this? All of these questions and more bounced around in X007s head as he tried to take in the entire scene before him.

After a few more moments X001 straightened himself "Alright everyone enough with the wide eyes…we have a job to do." He stated simply as he began making his was towards the carrier.

X007 let a small smile touch the corner of his lips as he fell inline with the rest of the squad as they followed X001. He still was having trouble processing everything that was going on. But he knew one thing for sure…this whole display was the confidence boost they needed.

Walking onto the carrier they were instantly greeted by the three Mark Two Franxx that had been loaded earlier. X007 paused and took a quick look at his Franxx…he still felt the need to be out there fighting with his squad, he knew that feeling wasn't going away….but since he was going as the emergency backup he desperately hoped that he would not be called upon to pilot and everything would go smoothly.

Once they made their way through the Franxx storage area they all loaded up into an elevator that took them to the passenger area of the craft. There were several seats sitting shoulder to shoulder making to separate areas that were divided by an aisle way in the middle. There were also a few open areas where someone could stand and look out a window if they decided not to sit.

Nana quickly made her way to the front of the group to get everyone's attention. "Alright children the carrier will be taking off momentarily. In order to reach plantation #197 by early morning tomorrow we will be flying all through the night. So please make yourselves comfortable. Two out of the three cabins on the level below us have been outfitted with bunk beds so you have a place to sleep. I will be up front with the pilot. If you have any questions just let me know!" she ended with a small wink towards the children before turning and making her way to the front of the passenger area.

As she left the parasites silently made their way to separate areas of the cabin still trying to process what had just happened before they boarded. X009 and X010 went and sat down in some chairs next to a window while X004 lay down and stretched out in the aisle way staring up at the ceiling. X001 went to stand over by one window and as the carrier lifted up off the ground X007 walked over and looked out the window across the aisle from him. With the engines roaring to life they left the hangar bay and took flight out over the open wasteland. X007 watched the dreary landscape roll by enjoying the opportunity of being alone to reflect back on what Nana had said earlier going over her words multiples times in his head.

"Heroes huh?" he mumbled to himself lost in thought of a memory he had nearly forgotten.

 _ **It was the night before their first mission together and she had insisted on going for a stroll through the garden, and with some convincing and a few of her best smiles he eventually agreed to accompany her. They walked through the garden in silence until they finally arrived at the small pond in the center and Zero Two stopped at the water's edge. X007 had watched her in silence as she gazed up at the moon and stars whose reflections bounced brightly off the waters still surface.**_

 _ **Finally she turned to him and asked him shyly "X007…why do you pilot?**_

 _ **He simply gave her a confused look in return, but responded "It's my duty as a parasite to pilot a Franxx. What other reason should there be?"**_

" _ **Ah I see…pretty generic answer" see responded as she turned and kicked a small rock into the water with a small splash.**_

" _ **Do you have a different reason?" X007 asked her softly. Curious to know what the strange girl standing before him might answer.**_

 _ **Zero Two looked out across the pond as a slight breeze played with her silky pink hair, the reflections of the moon and stars rippling on the water as the wind broke the surface. X007 stood there slightly awe struck…he wasn't sure if he had seen anything more peaceful.**_

" _ **I have to kill as many Klaxosaurs as I can…" Zero Two spoke softly. "And then once I have finally killed enough…there is someone I need to find."**_

" _ **I…I see.." X007 responded hesitantly. This was definitely not the answer he had expected.**_

" _ **You need to have your own reason for piloting…not some reason someone else gave you." Zero Two continued on eyes still staring out across the pond. "If not you'll never survive…"**_

 _ **Zero Twos words struck a chord deep down in X007s heart. Maybe it was just her words combined with this surreal moment but he felt the sudden burning urge to share his dream with her.**_

" _ **I used to dream of being a hero…" X007 spoke softly slightly embarrassed "To be someone who was needed, who could protect those he cared about, someone people could not only look up to…but someone they could also lean on when times got tough. I used to dream about that every time things would get hard to remind myself why I would pilot someday…"**_

 _ **Zero Two turned around and faced him with a goofy grin on her face. "That's the sort of answer I was looking for! Even if it is a little weird!" she prodded at him with a small laugh.**_

 _ **X007 crossed his arms and averted his gaze. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything…"**_

 _ **Zero Two stopped her laughter and looked at him with a soft smile. "No stories like that…your dreams…those are what make you who you are and I am glad you were willing to share them with me…If we are going to be partners I want to learn more about you…and I hope you want to learn more about me.**_

 _ **X007 stood there struck into silence at Zero Twos response to his embarrassment…Zero Two continued on not allowing the silence between them to linger.**_

 _ **And hey…now that we are partners maybe the great hero X007 can help me find who I am looking for one day?" her tone half serious half mocking.**_

 _ **X007 gave her a quizzical look but couldn't help but faintly smile back at her. "Yeah…maybe…"**_

 _ **Zero Two flashed him another large smile. "Great! Then it's a deal! Now come on lets go for a swim!" she exclaimed as she reached out and grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him into the pond.**_

X007 breathed out a small sigh as he looked at the faint reflection staring back at him in the window of the carrier. Zero Two had placed so much faith in him even early on…but all he had ever done was let her down time and time again. And if someone he cared about so deeply couldn't lean on him…then would it really be fair to let anyone else call him a hero?

"Hey X007." X009 spoke softly tapping him lightly on the shoulder startling him causing him to jump slightly. "Oh my gosh I am so sorry I didn't mean to startle you like that!"

X007 took a deep breath trying to lower his heart rate and fight off the adrenaline spike X009 had just given him. "No your fine X009 I was just lost in thought and didn't hear you come up behind me."

"Were you thinking about Zero Two?" she asked him shyly "You always get this weird look in your eye when you think about her."

"Am I really that obvious?" he replied turning back to look out the window once more. It had already gotten dark…he had really lost track of time.

"Im not sure if its as obvious to everyone else as it is me." She told him as she took her place next to him also gazing out the window. "Is it anything you want to talk about?"

"No it's nothing like that…just something she said to me back when we first met."

"Ah I see." X009 responded simply. X007 could tell that she wanted to pry for more information but she was too sweet of a person to do so.

A moment of silence passed between them as they watched the dark world pass by before them. "Hey X007…" X009 whispered her voice barely audible. "Are you scared?"

"Yeah of course..." He answered her softly.

"Good because I am terrified!" X009 told him as he reached her hands out in front of her face. "My hands haven't stopped shaking sine we boarded. X004 and X001 seem so cool and confident about everything and I can't get much of a response out of X010. I was starting to think that maybe I was crazy for worrying so much…I just get so tired of being weak and pulling everyone down."

"Alright that's enough of that nonsense." X007 fussed at her as he turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are not weak X009 that speech you gave earlier was wonderful and the strength you showed was inspiring. It's what pulled everyone together at the end! And I think you would be crazy NOT to be worried right now." X007 took a slight pause "Come to think of it maybe X004 isn't scared."

X009 laughed slightly at his joke about X004s sanity. X007 gave her a light hearted smile. He really hoped he had gotten through to her. "It's getting pretty late I guess everyone will be heading down to the cabins soon?" X007 asked.

X009 shook her head. "No everyone has decided that we would just stay up here tonight…as a squad."

"I see." X007 responded simply

"I was actually just sent over here to ask what you were going to do?" X009 asked him shyly.

"I think it's pretty obvious that I am staying up here then." X007 responded with a smile.

"Right!" X009 answered back with a smile of her own.

The pair walked over to the small area where everyone was sitting. X007 took his place in an empty chair and attempted to relax as best he could. He sat there in silence with the rest of them listening to the hum of the engines contemplating the events of the day…and what was in store for them tomorrow before he finally drifted off to sleep.

"Time to get up children!" Nana announced as she made her way back towards where they were sleeping. "We will be arriving at plantation #197 soon."

X007 opened his eyes and stretched his stiff neck, sleeping in a chair had not been the most comfortable. He stood up and continued to stretch his aching muscles as Nana spoke.

"It won't be long before we land, and Papa wants to make sure that the proper introduction is made. So please take time to change into the special outfits he had prepared for you! You will find everything waiting for you in the cabins down below! Once you are dressed come see me so I can go over your schedule for the day." She finished with a big smile as she quickly left the passenger area.

X007 took a quick look around at his drowsy squad mates who were also trying to pull themselves from their chairs. As he caught the eye of X004 he gave him a confused look. X004 responded to him simply with a shoulder shrug and then went back to trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. What in the world could Papa had prepared for them he wondered?

Once they all had woken up X001 led everyone through the door and into the elevator that would take them down to the Franxx holding area. They would then have to take the stairs that would lead them up to the cabins. X007 listened to the whirr of the elevator as they all stood there in silence it was obvious that everyone was still tired…and even though everyone was doing their best to hide it their nerves were apparent.

Once they had filed out of the elevator at the bottom floor they all immediately turned and started up the stairs. One cabin had been setup for the boys and the other for the girls. So they silently splint into their sperate groups and made their way into the changing area.

Once they entered into the room X001, X004, and X007 noticed three small containers with their code numbers written on them.

"This must be them." X004 spoke softly.

X007 opened up the container with his name and pulled his new suit out. Upon initial inspection it looked just like any other suit a staemen would use to pilot a Franxx but with one obvious difference…unlike they normal dark grey color this suit was matched with the same blue as the Mark Two Franxx.

"What's so special about these?" X004 asked aloud. "It looks just like any other piloting suit just blue…why would Papa want to make sure we had something like this?"

"Because he wants us to stand out." X001 answered back in a matter of fact tone.

X007 instantly knew that X001 was right. Papa wanted them to stand out amongst the other pilots…he wanted people to know that they were different. And what better way to do so than to go against a very standard dress code set for the pilots? It was sure to draw lots of attention.

"Yeah that does make sense." X004 acknowledged as he removed his standard grey parasite uniform and started to slide into the new piloting suit.

X007 nodded his agreement and followed his lead. "Well how do I look?" X007 asked once he was fully dressed.

X004 gave him a quick once over then answered him with his usual playful banter "Oh they should have switched you over to a blue suit forever ago X007! It really brings out the color in your eyes!"

"Oh ha ha very funny." X007 responded. It was obvious that X004 was trying to remain his usual self…but X007 could still pick out the nervousness in his eyes.

X001 breathed out a large sigh "We are going to stick out horribly in these. Everyone will be bound to notice us."

"Well isn't that what we always wanted?" X004 answered him his voice trailing off at the end.

"I suppose…" X001 answered back softly.

X007 quietly observed the interaction between his two squad mates. It was obvious that everyone was questioning the mindset they had all shared in the past…not just him.

"Well come on I am sure the girls are waiting." X001 stated as he made his way out of the room.

As they left the room it became quickly apparent that X001 was correct as X009 called up to them from the bottom floor with her arms crossed "What took you all so long?"

"Oh we were just too busy telling X007 how good he looked in his new suit was all." X004 replied with a small laugh as he led them down the stairs. X007 replied in kind with a friendly push in the back that almost caused X004 to fall the rest of the way down resulting in even harder laughter.

"Well I am glad to see that you still always seem to have the energy to goof off." X009 shot back as she rolled her eyes.

X004 gave her a simple shrug as they all grouped up and made their way to the back of the carrier where Nana awaited them.

As they approached Nana greeted them with a large smile. "Those suits look wonderful! How do you all feel about them?"

"I think we look a little flashy." X001 responded flatly.

"Yes of course that's the point!" Nanas responded cheerfully but then the smile quickly faded from her face. "I understand this has all been a whirlwind for you and I wish you could have had more time to adjust. I know that you feel like the suits are a little off putting, but you need to understand that there is no more being tucked away into an unknown facility. After today every single one of you will be front and center with the world. I have heard you all mention that getting away from the facility and being acknowledged as pilots is something you have wanted for your entire lives. Well now it really is happening you are about to realize your dreams. I know it may not feel like it now…but I think today may be when your lives really begin! Nana ended with a smile.

They all stood there in silence soaking in her words finally coming to terms with how their entire lives were about to change…finally X007 broke the silence.

"Thank you Nana. Sometimes its just hard getting something you always wanted…especially if it doesn't feel like you thought it should right off hand."

Nana gave him a small smile. "Yes I understand where you are coming from X007 I think that was very well put."

"Indeed" X001 agreed.

"Are you ready children?" Nana asked them. A slight hint of concern in her voice.

X001 gave her a small nod. Nana then looked up at the guard who controlled the door to the carrier and gave him the ok to lower it. As the door began its slow decent X007 could feel his chest begin to tighten…this was it…as of this moment their entire lives would be changed forever! X007 listened to the groaning of the gears as it continued to open farther and farther. X007 could feel his heart begin to race the lower it became until finally the door stood wide open. X007 felt as if his heart had exploded within his chest as he imagined what sort of greeting would await them on the other side of the door. If it was anything more than what had happened at the facility he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it…he had decided maybe being in the public eye wasn't as great as everyone made it out to be. X007 felt his chest tighten as his entire body tensed as he prepared himself for what might happen as the door finally lowered enough to reveal the hangar bay of the plantation.

X007 instantly felt his body relax and he released the breath of air he was holding in as he peered out into a mostly empty hangar bay. A few guards clad in grey uniforms bustled about but no one seemed to be paying them any attention. X007 felt if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Come now children there is no time to stand around." Nana instructed as she stepped off the carrier as soon as the door was fully opened.

The parasites followed her lead as the small group made their way through the expansive hangar and through one of the doors that connected the hangar to the rest of the plantation.

As they passed though the entry way X004 breathed out a tired sigh and placed his hands behind his head. "I don't know about you guys…but I for one am glad there was no some big group of people waiting for us to get off the carrier."

X009 sagged her shoulders "I know what you mean…I don't know if I can have that many eyes looking at me at once again."

X004 nodded his agreement. "I don't know what it is but just the thought of having that many people focusing their attention on me causes my chest to tighten up and I start freaking out!"

The rest of the parasites mumbled their agreement. "I was afraid of this…" Nana spoke up.

"Afraid of what?" X010 questioned.

"After growing up in isolation away from large groups of people and not really having anyone to interact with other than yourselves you all are experiencing a mild form of social anxiety. It's nothing to worry about since none of you are displaying any extreme symptoms and it is to be expected giving the situation you were raised in. Some of you may get over this feeling rather quickly while others may have issues with it for the rest of your life…still I was hoping this would not be an issue at all as it will only make this afternoon more difficult for you.

"What do you mean by that?" X007 demanded.

"I was instructed not to tell you until you arrived…but Papa wants to have an introduction ceremony for the plantation."

"What is an introduction ceremony?" X007 pushed for details.

Nana took a deep breath. "Its very simple you will stand on a podium in front of the entire plantation as Papa introduces you. Honestly you don't really have to do anything at all except stand there and wave!" she smiled doing her best to reassure them.

"We came here to fight off a Stratos…not be paraded around." X001 growled.

"After how you reacted to the send off at the facility I was afraid you all would be against this." Nana responded "But I am sorry…this is how it is now…you children are extremely special and will be able to handle situations that other parasites could never hope to take on. You will have to get used to being paraded around a little…Papa is very proud of you all."

X001 crossed his arms "I am still not totally on board with this…but we have already made it this far…and if that's what Papa wants then it's for the best I am sure."

"Speak for yourself…if I have to deal with that many people at once I may just throw up." X009 mumbled under her breath.

X007 and the others followed directly in Nanas footsteps. They were in unknown territory and did not want to risk losing sight of her. They continued down through various different corridors for what seemed like forever until they finally walked out into an opening that contained many different escalators. Nana stepped onto the escalator right in front of her without hesitation and the squad followed suit. They all stood in silence as the stairs slowly took them downward, eyes wide and keeping their heads on a swivel as they tried to take in the sights before them. X007 couldn't recall a time he had ever seen something so massive! When he was piloting with Zero Two he had the opportunity to see a plantation up close…but he had never gotten the chance to actually be inside one…it was magnificent! How many people could live in such a place he wondered?

As they reached the bottom of the escalator Nana quickly lead them around another corner that stopped in front of elevator doors. Nana immediately waved her badge in front of the reader and the door opened with a quick rush. She and the parasites immediately stepped inside and the doors slid shut behind them. Nana reached over and pressed a button located on the wall and the elevator shot up at an incredible speed. As they made their way upwards X007 was floored at the sight just beyond the glass.

It was a massive glowing city! It was like nothing he had ever seen before! The city was larger than anything he ever could have imagined its warm golden glow relaxed him. He could feel the stress and the tension from earlier melting from his body as he continued to stare out from the elevator glass. He took his eyes away from the golden city for only a moment to take a quick look at his squad mates. One glance was all he needed to tell that they were just as transfixed as he was. He caught Nana watching them with a small smile on her face…she had done this on purpose…she wanted them to see this! As he looked out once again he could feel his resolve and his confidence coming back to him. None of his feelings mattered, one look at the city had reminded him that all of this was bigger than them! This was the whole reason they were here…they had come to protect this golden city!

And then just like that the city was gone, replaced with the dark black walls of the elevator shaft…but X007 was fine with that he had been given exactly what he needed. A reason to keep fighting…something to protect. He had found that something multiple times before but always seemed to end up losing it…he had been starting to give up hope…but after seeing that glowing city and thinking of all the people who needed their help…he knew exactly why he needed to keep fighting.

The elevator slowed its self to a halt as it reached the top of its climb. As the doors slid open Nana and the parasites filed out one by one and followed her down the connected hallway until she brought them to a halt in front of a large door.

"Alright children this is as far as I go." Nana stated with a small smile "You will have to take on this next challenge without me. Beyond those doors is your future…once you cross through them your lives will never be the same. You will no longer be seen as Mark Two pilots in training…today is the day you will be placed on a pedestal as heroes! I know this is a lot to take in right now…but please remember that everyone out there will be leaning on you…you must show them strength." She took a slight pause and stepped out of the squad's way. "Whenever you are ready…everyone is waiting for you."

X001 stepped to the front of the group took a long deep breath and made his way up to the door with the others following close behind him. With a low rumble the doors began to open blinding the parasites with light.

X007 held his hand up in front of his face to shield his eyes from the blinding light as the doors continued to open. Once there was a large enough gap to walk through the parasites stepped out into the light their presence greeted with cheering and deafening applause. The unexpected sounds caused X007 to jump slightly but he continued to follow his squad mates through the doors and into the warmth of the sun.

As X007s eyes adjusted to the light he lowered his hand from his face…his body going stiff his chest tightening as he took notice of his surroundings. He and his squad mates were standing on a stage in the middle of a giant arena that was filled to the brim with people. He slowly turned his head in wonder as he soaked in the thousands of people cheering and applauding as confetti slowly drifted through the air. He and the others stood there awkwardly as they waited for the commotion to die down…but it never did. The people continued to shout and cheer with no sign of letting up. Were they really this excited to see them he wondered? Was all of this really necessary? This was the day he had dreamed of for so long…and out of all the scenarios he had imagined none of them had been this grand.

As the people in the stadium continued cheering them on X007 thought back to what Nana had said earlier about how everyone here was leaning on their strength…how even now they were already being viewed as heroes. X007s stage fright was slowly beginning to wear off as the weight of his responsibility to the people of plantation #197 began to press down on his shoulders. He looked around at his squad mates who were all still standing mouths half open eyes filled with wonder at the scene before them.

X007 looked back to the crowd that already seemed to be settling down a bit as the cheers began to slowly turn to murmurs. He noticed a few people out in the crowd were starting to whisper to one another and point down in their direction.

We are not giving of a very good first impression standing around gawking like this! These people need pilots they can believe in! X007 thought to himself silently, no matter how nervous or scared we are we have to convince them that we are strong and confident we have to push past our fears…that's what heroes do! X007 laughed at himself slightly maybe he hadn't given up on his dream as much as he had thought. With new found purpose X007 forced a large fake smile to touch his lips as he rose up his right hand to wave to the crowd.

The people went into a frenzy! Shouting, screaming, and cheering louder than they had been before! X007s squad mates looked around puzzled about what had set the crowd of…and finally they saw X007 with the smile on his face and hand to the crowd. One by one they each realized what was going on and began to put on their own smiles and begin waving to the crowd. As X007 listened to the crowd grow even noisier he couldn't believe they were finally living out their dream...they had all waited a long time for this moment.

Suddenly without warning the crowd grew silent. X007 slowly lowered his hand concerned at what had caused such a rowdy crowd to fall into order so quickly. X007 followed the peoples gaze until he laid eyes upon the giant hologram of Papa that had appeared in front of the stage. At the sight of the leader of APE X007 and the other parasites quickly fell into order and stood at attention.

"Greetings Everyone!" Papa's voice thundered across the silent stadium. X007 felt a small wave of calmness wash over him at the sound of Papas familiar voice.

"Let me start off with an apology to you the people of #197." Papa continued on. "I understand that you are scared…and rightfully so! It has been confirmed that the greatest threat that we know in existence the Stratos class Klaxosaur is marching toward your home as we speak! And for that you have my sincerest apologies! I am truly sorry that you have to fear such an awful monster and it truly upsets me that until now these creatures have been allowed to walk the earth unchecked and unmatched in their power causing nothing but pain, death, and destruction in their wake! And I know that some may even feel that I have abandoned you!" Papa took a slight pause to allow his message to sink in….and then began slowly raising his arms to the sky.

"But no more! For today I present to you a special force created specifically for the task of wiping these wretched creatures from existence! Plantation #197 today I bring you your saviors The Stratos Squad!" Papa spread his arms in their direction as the crowd erupted into cheers once more.

Papa continued speaking his voice booming over the cheers of the crowd. "These children have been raised and trained to pilot Franxx specifically designed to handle the Stratos threat! No more do you need to fear! No longer do you have to worry! Have faith in me! Have faith in your heroes….have faith that I bring you SALVATION!"

With Papas ending sentence the crowd went into a fresh frenzy as waves of confetti were blasted into the air flashing their brilliant colors as they twirled in the sun. X007 and the others began to smile and wave at the crowd once more. But this time his smile was for real. Papa's speech had not only touched the hearts of the people of the plantation…but his heart as well. He felt so warm and confident…Papa believed in them! The people of the plantation believed in him! They were needed! They had a purpose!

 _Whoooop!….Whoooop!….Whoooooop!_

X007s body locked up his hand still in the air…the people were no longer cheering…everyone had gone silent…but it didn't matter the sound of the alarm would have drowned out any sound being made. X007 struggled to control his breathing as he begged his body to move from its locked position trying with everything in him to break himself free of the invisible grip of the alarm. The sound replacing the warmth and confidence he had only a moment ago with fear. He had heard this alarm once before. It had been used to signal the attack from the Moho class against the facility. This same alarm sounding now could only mean one thing…the Stratos was here…


	6. Chapter 6: Stratos

X007 still unable to catch his breath as if the air was still being continually sucked from his lungs. His raised arm involuntarily dropped to his side as the alarms continued to echo out across the stadium a constant reminder to everyone of what was approaching just beyond the horizon.

Without warning the crowd erupted into a fear fueled frenzy. Thousands of people screaming and pushing one another in an attempt to make their way from the stadium back into the plantation, shattering the silenced awe they were once in. The sudden change snapped X007 from his frozen state and he quickly began taking notice of the situation at hand.

This wasn't good! With all of these people trying to rush out like this someone was going to get hurt or worse! X007 turned his head left and right taking in the scene before him…it was absolute chaos…why wasn't papa doing anything to stop this? Something had to be done to calm everyone down or they were going to have more problems than the Stratos on their hands…someone needed to do something…anything!

In that moment X001 calmly walked up to the front of the stage and lifted a fist to his chest as a salute to Papa. Standing tall, strong and confident…X007 quickly realized what X001 was doing. He was showing them his strength and giving them something to lean on just like Nana had instructed them. X007 quickly got the attention of the others and they all followed suit with X001 and walked to the front of the stage standing shoulder to shoulder they raised their fists to their chests in a similar salute.

"Everyone look!" Papas voice erupted over the blaring of the alarm and the screams of terror from the crowd. "Look at your heroes! They are here for you! Let them lend you their strength please be calm there is nothing to fear!"

At his words the commotion in the stands steadily died down as everyone looked down at the parasites standing strong and proud. Almost immediately the chaos that once controlled the stands changed into thunderous applause once more.

"We believe in you children! Now go and remove the beast from this earth! The people of plantation #197 are with you!" Papa commanded as he pointed his finger towards the large door they had entered in.

At his command the parasites turned on their heels and headed for the door as it began to open. They walked across the stage, eyes forward as the people of the planation cheered them on. Once they stepped through the entryway the large door quickly slid shut behind them cutting off the sound from the stadium.

"That was nuts!" X004 quickly exclaimed. "I have never experienced anything like that! It was amazing!"

"I don't know how I feel about it." X009 chimed in "I can't tell if I am shaking from the crowd…or because I know that the Stratos is on the way."

"I don't know about you all, but I was scared out of my mind…If it hadn't been for X001s quick thinking I probably would still be frozen like a statue out there. Way to think on your feet!" X007 commended X001 who only responded with a quick nod. X007 could tell he was already lost deep in thought probably preparing for how best to tackle the Stratos.

"Children!" Nana yelled waving at them from around the corner. "There isn't time to be standing around! Follow me quickly!"

"Right! Come on!" X001 ordered as he and the others burst into a quick jog to catch up with Nana.

As they made their way around the corner they saw her already in the elevator waving them on. They all quickly loaded in and Nana wasted no time pressing the button to lower the elevator. As they made their decent X007 turned behind him to look out the glass and catch sight of the glowing city one last time. As the elevator shaft left his field of vision and the city came into view X007 felt a familiar wave of calming wash over him as he took in the golden glow. There were no alarms here no blinking red lights only the warm light of a city that seemed to be sleeping unaware of what was going on around it.

"It's beautiful" X007 whispered out loud.

X004 laid a hand on his shoulder "And we are going to make sure it stays that way."

X007 looked over his shoulders into the eyes of X004 and nodded his head. "Right"

And as quickly as it had appeared the city was once again blocked by the elevator shaft. X007 turned around to face the door ready to make a quick exit once the elevator had come to a stop.

As the elevator came to a rest at the bottom of the shaft the parasites moved swiftly through the doors not wasting a second as they slid open.

"Quickly children follow me!" Nana ordered as she led them through the hallways at a jogging pace. The group did not slow up even as they reached the escalator choosing to run up it instead of riding as the alarm continued to sound urging them ever forwards to their Franxx.

As they topped the escalators the parasites continued following Nana through the winding corridors that would lead them back to the carrier. X007 began to grow agitated as they continued to run through the various hallways never seeming to get any closer to their destination…they didn't have time for this! The Stratos was closing in and they were nowhere near ready!

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity the group rounded the final corner that opened into the entry way for the Hangar. X007 let out a small sigh of relief as he realized the sirens in this area had been turned off. He assumed it was so that the guards could communicate easier as they prepared to defend the plantation. Either way he was glad for the silence. The wail of the sirens was about to drive him mad!

With the Carrier in sight they pushed harder desperate to reach it as quickly as possible. As they closed in on the Carrier, they finally took notice of the small group standing in front of its open door, drawing closer it quickly became obvious that it was another parasite squad. Eight in total standing huddled together in their standard grey piloting suits.

"What is the meaning of this?" Nana demanded as they came to a halt face to face with the group. "Why are you all out here? And why are you in your piloting suits!"

One of the Stamen stepped forward. "I am code 797 and I am the leader of this squad. Which one of you is the squad leader?"

X001 stepped up beside Nana. "That would be me. I am code X001, what do you want with us?"

797 stepped forward getting face to face with X001. "Let us go fight the Stratos with you!"

Before X001 could reply Nana pushed herself between the two as she erupted "Absolutely Not! I don't know how you all were able to sneak in here but I suggest all of you get back to the nest before I report this!"

"No! You have to let us!" 797 pleaded "This place is our home and it is our job to defend it! What good are we if we can't even do our one job?"

X007 quickly looked over 797 and the rest of the group standing before him. So this was the Franxx squad for Plantation #197 then? It was apparent that they were all a few years older than him and the rest of the Stratos squad, however thanks to the extra height the modifications gave X007 and the others they all stood about the same height so he doubted they would be able to tell the age difference. But since X007 and his squad were still a few years from being appropriate piloting age…that meant the plantations squad was still very young and could not have been piloting for very long.

"This is not up for discussion 797!" Nana cut him off. "You do not know what you are up against…you can't take on a Stratos!"

"You don't understand!" 797 continued to argue becoming visibly frustrated "We can't just sit by and do nothing while our home is under attack! Besides what makes them more qualified to go up against this monster than us!?" 797 demanded as he pointed an accusing finger at the Stratos squad.

X007 continued to watch the slim dark-haired boy seething in front of him and felt a small twinge in his chest…he knew exactly where 797 was coming from…he knew what it was like to feel useless when people you cared about needed you. X007 took a deep breath and stepped up alongside Nana and X001.

"Listen I understand how you feel right now…but trust me it's for the best." X007 encouraged 797 calmly.

"How could you possibly understand?!" 797 snapped at him.

X007 maintained his composure feeling sorrier for 797 than angry with him. "I know you want what's best for the plantation and I understand that you want to make sure its protected. But sometimes you have to realize when you are just not up to the task…and you need to put your faith in the ones who are."

797 opened his mouth but X007 raised up a hand to stop him before he could continue his argument. "I understand how you feel because even though I am a part of this squad I am only here today as an emergency stand by. My squad mates are about to go and face this threat…but since I have an injury I am only allowed to watch from the sidelines. I would only be in their way…just a liability…someone else they would have to look after and focus on instead of having their full attention on the fight. I would love nothing more than to be out there with them to ensure that I could help protect them and this plantation. But I trust them completely…and I hope that you will trust them too…they won't let anything happen to your home I promise."

X007 watched 797s shoulders sag as the realization of what X007 was trying to tell him took hold. "So you think we would really just be in the way that badly?"

Nana spoke up her tone softer than before. "I know it's hard to hear 797…but this squad is especially equipped to handle this situation."

797 nodded his head understandingly and stepped out of the way.

"We will continue this conversation at length after the Stratos has been dealt with. I am sure you have questions and I will provide you answers…I promise." Nana assured him.

"Alright Stratos squad get to your Franxx…." Nanas voice trailed off and her eyes grew wide with concern as she turned around to face them. "Where is X010?!"

X007 and the others quickly whirled around only to see Nana was right. X010 was indeed missing from the group! X007 knew for a fact that she had been with them when they had topped the elevator and he was pretty certain she had been right behind him right before they entered the hangar. X007 felt a small chill run down his spine…he had a bad feeling he knew exactly what was going on.

"Where could she have possibly run off to?!" Nana snapped. "We do not have time for this!"

X007 glanced over at X001 and could see the look of concern in his eyes. Before the situation could get any worse X007 raised his hands slightly in an attempt to calm the agitated Nana.

"I'm sure she's not far. Everything is fine, I will go find her while everyone else gets ready ok?" X007 assured everyone.

"Fine. Everyone get to your Mark Twos immediately! And X007…" Nana took a slight paused as she looked at X007 with pleading yet firm eyes. "Please hurry."

X007 gave a quick nod as he turned on his heels and began running back the way they had come. X007 could feel his stomach knot with each step as his feet pounded against the metal floor of the hangar. She's going to be ok! He kept trying to tell himself over and over again as the entry door that led back into the plantation grew closer and closer. He knew all too well what happened when you pilot a Mark Two until the strain finally causes your body to start shutting down. He had seen it happen with X005…and he had been there himself. Most of the others never made it past the initial shutdown…dying right there on the spot, and out of all the ones who survived…he was the only one so far who had recovered.

With that thought X007 pressed himself even harder hoping! Begging! Praying! To see X010 safe and sound around the corner! As he passed through the door's threshold he held his breath in anticipation, as he rounded the corner. Coming to an immediate stop the air he had held in now rushing out of him uncontrollably as he took in the scene before him.

X010 was doubled over struggling to stand doing her best to use her right arm to support herself her head drooped down facing the floor. X007s eyes grew wide his face turning pale as he noticed the small pool of blood that lay at her feet. He stood there in silence for a moment listening to her labored breathing racking his brain for the words to say…he was afraid he would find her like this but seeing her in this state was harder than he ever could have imagined. Then without warning she let out a quick series of coughs that led to an increased amount of blood on the floor.

X010 looked over her shoulder at X007 "Damn I was hoping to be back before anyone noticed I was missing." Her voice incredibly weak as she spoke.

X007 stood in silence as he listened to her strained voice and looked over her failing body. He knew X010 wasn't doing well but her situation was worse than he or any of the others realized…much worse. The fight with the 9s had only been a few weeks ago, if she continued declining at this rate it wouldn't be long before her body shut down completely unable to keep up with the demand her modifications placed on it! If she put the kind of strain on her body it was going to take to fight the Stratos her chances of making it back were incredibly slim…there was no way they could let her pilot…not like this.

"Well are you going to say anything or just keep standing there?" X010 mocked him as she turned her face back towards the wall.

X007 took a deep breath and started walking towards her. "How long have you been hiding this from us?"

"I haven't been hiding anything…everyone knows what happened." She replied.

X007 stopped next to her his feet right next to the pool of blood on the floor. "You know what I mean."

X010 took a deep breath before responding. "The blood started showing up a few days ago."

"Limb function?" X007 questioned.

"Fine" she responded softly

"Breathing?" X007 continued to press

"Could be worse." X010 shrugged her shoulders.

"Eye sight?"

"Normal." X010 growled obviously becoming agitated.

X007 let out a sigh of relief as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good then there is still time."

"Time? Time for what?" X010 asked him obviously confused.

"Time for Dr. Franxx to see you! Time for you to rest and get better?!" X007 responded no sure why his first statement was so confusing.

X010 let out a small laugh. "Oh I see….Well maybe we can get Dr. Franxx to pay me a visit after we beat the Stratos?"

"Are you crazy?" X007 snapped "You can't really believe you are going to go out there and fight that thing? Look at the shape you are in!"

X010 straightened herself and turned to face him. "Of course I am…that's the only reason we are here today…it's the only reason we are alive X007….like we all agreed yesterday, we are the only ones who can stop it."

"That may be true! But if you go out there today there is a very real chance you could die X010! And then you won't be able to help anybody!" X007 argued back.

"I'm dying anyway X007…I need to do what I can now…" X010s voice trailed off.

"Did you not listen to me?!" X007 began raising his voice in frustration "There is time! Just sit this one out and I will convince Nana to let me take your place. Then Dr. Franxx can look at you and you can rest up and get better!"

"X007…we both know what's happening with me…it happened to X005…it happened to everyone…no one survives it."

X007 felt a slight shiver go down his spine at how even X010s tone had been. It was as if she was trying to comfort him instead of the other way around. X007 placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"I survived!" X007 insisted.

There was a quick silence as X010 looked up at him her eyes filled to the brim with sadness. Behind that sadness however X007 noticed the familiar look he had been receiving since his own incident…as if she was looking at some stranger.

"We can't all be as lucky as you X007." X010 finally told him softly.

"You don't know that!" X007 argued with her.

"Yes I do…." X010 told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" X007 questioned frustrated and confused.

X010 averted her eyes from his and took a step back removing herself from X007s hands. "It's nothing…"

X007 opened his mouth to press for an answer but X010 didn't give him the chance. "Listen if you feel like you need to tell Nana what's going on and to convenience her to let you take my place, I won't try to stop you from doing what you think is best. But will you please not tell X001 and the others?"

"I understand you don't want everyone to worry X010 but they should really know." X007 tried to convenience her, his tone much softer than before.

X010 shook her head and looked back up at X007 "It's not that…they are about to face the biggest challenge of their lives and I want them to be completely focused on that. I am afraid if they are worried about me then they might hold back or slip up and get them and everyone in the plantation killed. I can't be what distracts them…I can't be what holds them back!"

X007 looked into the pleading eyes of X010 and realized how badly she needed this. And he had to admit that she had a good point, if the others were worried about her during the upcoming fight it really could cause issues. X007 crossed his arms and breathed out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine I won't mention anything to the others…yet. But I am still going to talk to Nana."

X010 gave him a small smile as a look of relief came across her face. "Thank you X007. And yes I understand…do what you think is best. Now let's go, I am sure you coming to find me used up time that we don't have." As she finished speaking she turned and stepped over the puddle of blood still staining the floor and began making her way down the hallway. X007 took one last look at the puddle himself and took in a deep breath of frustration as he began to follow her.

"X010 where have you been!" Nana scolded her as they approached the carrier.

"I'm terribly sorry." X010 apologized "I got distracted along the way and fell behind everyone and ended up lost."

Nana placed her fingers on her head and gripped her data pad in frustration. "Distracted? Really? Do I really need to remind you what is happening? Now of all times!"

"No of course not! It won't be happening again." X010 responded.

Nana allowed her shoulders to relax slightly. "We don't have time for this…we will discuss it later. X001 is already in the Mark Two waiting for you hurry up and join him."

X010 nodded her head and ran off to join X001 and the others. X007 waited until she was out of ear shot and then turned his attention to Nana who was now looking back down at her data pad.

"Nana I need to speak with you about X010."

"Can it wait X007? We can all have a proper discussion about it after the Stratos is dealt with. We just don't have the time right now." Nana responded without looking up from the data pad.

"No, it can't wait!" X007 snapped causing Nana to jolt slightly and finally give him her attention. "X010 does not need to be piloting! She is sick! She didn't get lost she stayed behind on purpose because she is trying to hide the fact that her body is still shutting down from everyone because she doesn't want them to be distracted or worried."

Nanas eyes grew wide as she took on the full weight of X007s words. "How far along is she?"

"When I found her she was coughing up blood so she is still in the early stages. But if she pilots today it is only going to speed up the process…she may not survive! I request that you please allow me to take the place of her and X001 for this fight so that she can rest and get medical attention before she gets too far along. I know I am only here in case of an emergency…but I think this would qualify…please contact Papa."

Nana nodded her head in agreement. "You are right this isn't good. Let's make our way to the command area and get approval from Papa…. Papa wanted the alarms to sound early so everyone would have time to get into position so there is still some time left."

X007 felt his shoulders relax slightly as he followed her into the carrier and they headed for the makeshift command area that had been setup in one of the cabins near the front of the carrier. As they walked, he looked up at the three Mark Two Franxx that were housed within the carrier. By now all his squad mates would be in position ready to power up and take off when given the word. X007 increased his pace, if they could just get Papa to agree with his plan…then maybe everything would be alright!

X007 and Nana quickly climbed the stairs that would lead them to the mid-level where the cabins were located and entered through the first door that they came to. The cabin where the makeshift command center was housed had been cleared out and retrofitted with all of the same equipment that they had in the command center back at the facility.

Nana wasted no time walking up and placing her data pad on the command console to free up her hands so she could start up the communication feed.

"Papa gave me a special password that should patch me straight through to him in case an emergency arose." She explained as he began typing into the console.

Moments later the words **CONNECTION ESTABLISHED** flashed in yellow across the large monitor. Nana wasted no time in beginning her message. "Papa this is Nana with the Stratos squad. We have a situation X010 is extremely sick and we need to put X007 in her place."

 _Silence_

"I repeat we have a situation. We need your permission to allow X007 to take the place of X010 and X001 in the fight against the Stratos. X010 is extremely sick and not fit to Pilot!""

 _Silence_

"Papa are you there?" Nana questioned desperation leaking into her voice.

 _Silence_

Nana turned to face X007. "Something isn't right this should be a direct line to Papa but I am not getting a response!"

 _Beep!...Beep!...Beep!_

X007 watched Nanas body go rigid as her eyes grew wide with fear at the small beeping noise that now filled the small room.

"Nana what's wrong!?" X007 questioned. Her reaction causing to him to freak out a little himself.

Nana didn't answer but simply turned and picked up the beeping data pad and stared at it silently.

"Isn't there someone else we can contact? Someone who can maybe get us ahold of Papa?!" X007 pressed her for answer desperation now finding its way into his voice as well.

"There's no time…." Nana responded her voice trailing off

"Nana Please!" X007 pleaded.

Nana slowly turned to face X007 showing him the display of her data pad. He could see the outline of the plantation along with a flashing yellow dot not too far away. X007 could feel his chest tighten as he realized what Nana was showing him.

"It's too late X007…it's here…" her voice shaky and uneven.

"No…" X007 whispered to himself.

"I'm sorry…there is nothing more I can do…" Nana apologized nearly in tears herself as she reached out her shaky hand and hit a button on the console. She took a moment to steady herself before speaking.

"Stratos Squad the Stratos class Klaxosaur is within range…you are clear to head out and engage."

"Roger that." X001 replied over the public comm link.

X007 could hear the sounds of the Mark Twos starting up outside the door. At the sound he clenched his fist and turned to head out of the room.

"Where do you think you are going X007?" Nana scolded

"I am going to my Franxx…I can't let them go out there with X010 being in the condition she is. I am going to back them up." X007 responded in frustration.

"X007 you can't do that." Nanas tone was still soft. She was obviously trying to keep him calm.

"Watch me." X007 stated simply.

"If you do that you will be disobeying a direct order from Papa. If you go it won't be like ignoring the Captain and I won't be able to help you. Besides let's say you decide to go anyway and all of you defeat the Stratos and come back together…but you are completely removed from the squad because Papa has decided you are no longer trust worthy to follow orders? Your right X007 the squad needs you…but there will be other fights and if you are sent away somewhere then how will you be able to help them? And who says you can help them now? Or have you forgotten you are a liability yourself? I know it's not an easy decision…but the best thing you can do right now is stay here and believe in them!"

X007 stood in place with clenched fists and clamped jaw shaking with anger…not at Nana…but with himself. Everything she said was true…disobeying a direct order from Papa would only spell more trouble for the squad…and he had caused enough of that for them already. He was so selfish…and ashamed of himself for it.

X007 turned around and walked over to the screen and crossed his arms. "Fine…your right." X007 responded in defeat.

Nana gave him a small smile and turned to the monitor as well as they both watched the Mark Twos skim over the sand already in Valkyrie mode towards their opponent.

X007 watched intently as he caught sight of the Stratos as his squad mates continued to close in the distance. It looked the same as the other Stratos that had attacked years ago. Its humanoid shape shrouded black with blue lines running in random patterns through it. Raised plates of stone like armor covered the creature from its shoulders to its legs leaving only its face uncovered. Standing on two legs it was slightly taller than the Mark Two Franxx its elongated arms drooping down by its sides with its long claw for fingers hands nearly touching the ground. Its arms connected to a wide shoulder and back that slimmed down as it reached its hips then widened out once more as its figure widened out down its legs ending at its round circle like feet giving the Klaxosaur the appearance of standing on pillars.

The creature raised its head up as it noticed the Franxx closing in on its position. It opened its long snout at let out a deafening roar showing its large black jagged teeth. Blue steam exited from its nostrils as it narrowed its slanted blue eyes that peeked out from behind its bull like horns…it was ready for them.

Before they entered combat range X004 and X009 veered off to the left circling the Stratos and taking position behind it as X010 and X001 took their positions up front. X007 allowed a proud smile to cross his face as he watched them work. It was an excellent tactic. By surrounding the Stratos it would now have to divide its attention between attacks from opposite directions leaving more openings for the Mark Twos to attack its armor.

There was a slight pause as all the participants in the battle sized up their opponents. However the peace did not last as X001 and X010 rushed in raising their blade high above their Franxx head and then bringing it down in an attempt to slash the Stratos in its unarmored face. The Stratos immediately brought up its left arm using its claws to block their blade.

X004 and X009 did not miss the opportunity they had been given and dove in swinging their sword hard into the now exposed side of the Stratos. The blade contacted with a thunderous clang sinking ever so slightly into the armor plating.

The Stratos let out an angry roar and pushed hard with its left arm forcing X001 and X010 to break contact and slide backwards across the sand. The Stratos quickly spun around swinging its claws at X004 and X009 who ducked the attack and then retreated backwards. The Stratos now had its eyes set on X004 and X009 with X001 and X010 behind it.

"Its strong" X001 stated simply.

"Yeah and its armor is no joke either." X009 chimed in

"We are going to have to hit it a hell of a lot harder than that for sure." X004 groaned.

The Stratos wasted little time going on the offensive. X007 was slightly taken aback by its speed. The creature was almost a blur as it rushed in slashing its deadly claws at X004 and X009 who were able to side step out if its way. X007 nervously bit down on his bottom lip as he watched. If they didn't have such amazing reflexes there was no way they would have been able to dodge that attack.

X004 and X009 swung their sword at the Stratos once again exposed side putting more force behind their attack than before. The ground shook slightly from the power of the impact. X007s eyes widened as he realized that instead of making contact with the Klaxosaurs armor it had used its free hand to catch their blade.

"What the hell?!" X004 exclaimed

"It's got us we can't break free!" X009 added as the Franxx tugged and pulled trying to pry its sword from the monsters grip.

The Stratos let out another roar as it brought the back of its free hand around at the Franxx. The Mark Two quickly brought up the shield of its free hand to block the attack the ground shaking once more from the impact. X004 and X009 screamed in agony from the strength required to hold back the force of the Stratos attack. Their Mark Two groaning and popping trying to meet the demand of strength its pilots asked of it.

X007 placed both hands of the console in front of him in anticipation leaning in closer to the screen listening to his squad mates scream. It was taking everything they had just to keep up with its strength…going all out had been enough to give them an advantage over the 9s…but would it be enough here?

"Get off them!" X010 screamed as she and X001 launched through the air swinging their blade with everything they had into the back of the Stratos the ground cracking beneath its feet under the strength they had put behind their attack. Their move took the Stratos by surprise and the force caused it to double over slightly loosening its grip on X004 and X009s sword. The pair took full advantage of the opportunity retreating back once more while X001 and X010 placed their feet on the back on the Klaxosaur and vaulted off to a safe distance.

"Thanks" X004 replied between breaths "I don't know how much longer we could have held on this thing is insane."

"All of that and we still didn't break through its armor!" X010 cried out

"I don't think we can hit much harder than that…" X001 spoke in disbelief.

"Can we really beat this thing?" X009 muttered.

Nana quickly cut in over the private chat. "You all are doing great don't let this thing get in your head. Both of your attacks did cut into its armor slightly I think if you can put that kind of force behind a more pin pointed attack you can break through!"

"What do you mean?" X009 responded.

"When you hit with the blade of your sword there is more surface area for the impact to spread through if you use an attack with less surface area the impact force can't spread out and could pierce the armor!" Nana instructed.

"Just like a spear would do to normal armor!" X010 replied showing that Nanas information was clicking.

"Exactly!" Nana responded

"One problem!" X004 argued "We don't have any spears!"

"Don't need one!" X001 shouted as he charged at the Stratos.

The Stratos spun around to face its attacker swinging its deadly claws at the face of the Franxx. The Mark Two ducked under the attack barely escaping the surely fatal strike. X001 and X009 lunged the point of their sword with everything they had at the now exposed chest of the Stratos.

"Got you!" X001 shouted triumphantly!

The point of their sword contacting the outer plate of the Klaxosaurs armor was followed by a chilling sound like breaking glass as their sword shattered into multiple pieces before their eyes.

"No!" X007 cried out from the command center

The Stratos wasted no time in bringing both clawed hands together and swinging them down at the crouched Mark Two which brought its shield up above its head to protect itself.

 _Crash….Crash…Crash_

The Mark Two began sinking into the ground bit by bit as the Stratos smashed into the shield over and over again.

"Enough!" X009 cried out as she and X004 came up from behind the Stratos and swung the edge of their shield into the side of its head sending it rolling across the sand.

X004 and X009 helped X001 and X010 back up to their feet as both parties stared at the shattered sword laying on the ground.

"If our swords can't handle the force of a direct impact on its armor then what the hell are, we supposed to do?" X010 demanded.

"Well we can't give up! Besides I have an idea!" X004 shouted as he and X009 sheathed their sword and then launched off flying at full speed as the still recovering Stratos was getting back up on its feet. Before it could fully regain its composure the Mark Two punched the Stratos square in the chest. The power behind the punch coupled with the speed at which the Mark Two was flying caused a shockwave that rippled through the air on impact the force knocking the Stratos off its feet once more. X004 and X009 let out a victorious battle cry in sync as they kept their fist still firmly planted on the creature's chest changing the angle of their attack forcing the Stratos into the ground the impact creating a small crater underneath it.

The Stratos let out a cry swinging out with its right arm catching the Mark two in the side sending it tumbling across the ground before landing next to X001 and X010.

X007 gripped his hands that were on the console into fists "Come on…get up guys…" he begged his attention never wavering off the screen in front of him.

X004 and X009s Mark Two shakily got back up on its feet a large chunk of its outer armor tore away exposing its regular body underneath.

"Well at least we know that second layer of armor works." X009 joked "If we had been in a regular Franxx that might have ripped us in half."

"Are you both ok?" X001 questioned

"It hurt like hell…but yeah we are ok." X004s voice somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

X007 felt his shoulders loosen up at the sight of the Franxx getting back on its feet and the sounds of his squad mates voices. "Hey X004 do you always have to be so reckless? Maybe just let X009 have the ideas from now on." X007 prodded jokingly.

"Hey she went along with it!" X004 snapped back with a playful tone.

"Stay alert children you're not done yet." Nana warned as the Stratos once again picked itself up off the ground.

X007s heart begin to race faster and he leaned in even closer to the screen as the Stratos came into view. "Do you all see that?!" he exclaimed.

As the Stratos rose up from the ground to face the Franxx once more there was a faint blue light leaking out from its chest.

"We did it…" X009 spoke in disbelief "We cracked its armor!"

"I take back what I said earlier X004! Have all the ideas you want!" X007 told him excitedly! The smaller surface area of the Mark Twos fist coupled with the impact force and the fact that they pinned it to the ground there was nowhere for all that energy to go except straight through the creature's armor. Although it was extremely reckless even, he had to admit it was a pretty solid plan in the end.

"Let's not celebrate too early." X001 warned. "But now that there is a weak spot maybe X004 and X009 can force their sword through it."

"Looks like that may be the only option right now." X004 agreed.

"X010 and I will get in close and give you an opening…as soon as there is an opportunity finish it off." X001 instructed.

"Gladly" X004 and X009 responded in sync.

The Stratos let out and other deafening roar as it pulled its hands close to its chest.

"Well now it's on guard this won't be easy." X001 announced as both Franxx readied themselves.

The Stratos then turned its head to the sky and opened its mouth. Blue particles began to appear in the air and seemingly enter into its mouth as a blue glow began to shine out of its jaws.

"Ummmm what exactly is it doing?" X004 asked nervously

Nana cut in over the comm link the urgency in her voice extremely apparent. "That is its long range attack it gathers up energy in its mouth and then releases it all at once. This is exactly how the others were able to destroy the other plantations. The Stratos is not very big but thanks to its strength and armor it can take hits head on without worry and continuously blast away until the plantation is nothing but rubble."

"Excellent once it fires off its attack we will dodge it and use the opening to attack the crack in its armor!" X001 announced

"No, you can't!" Nana snapped back.

"What? Why not?" X001 questioned confused as to why she was against him executing his plan.

"If you dodge the attack it will hit the plantation….you have to block it" Nans informed him her voice trailing off.

"Well then we will just attack before it can!" X004 responded he and X009 readying their Franxx to charge in.

"No!" Nana cried out "If you kill it now all of that energy it has built up has to go somewhere. It will cause an explosion that will kill you for sure!"

"Shit…" X001 grumbled through clenched teeth.

X007 held his breath and focused his attention on the Stratos whose mouth was now glowing a brilliant bright blue…could they really stop an attack that can do that kind of damage?!

Suddenly the energy in the Klaxosaurs mouth stop growing and a high pitched screech filled the air.

"X004! X009! Shoulder up with us shields up now!" X001 commanded.

X004 and X009 went into action placing their Mark Two right next to X001 and X010s. Both Franxx raised their shields and braced for impact.

The Stratos lowered its head with mouth open facing the Mark Twos. And with the sound of crackling lightning fired its attack at its opponents.

A stream of blue light sailed across the ground. The parasites screamed with pain as it made impact with their shields causing their Franxx to slowly begin to slide backwards across the ground.

X007 watched on in horror as the beam of blue light continued to erupt from the mouth of the monster forcing his squad mates to push harder and harder against the onslaught wailing in agony as their bodies struggled to keep up with the strain being placed on them.

"I can't hold out much longer!" X009 cried out as cracks began to form along their shield.

"Let me take more of the force X009!" X004 screamed back.

X009 argued back "No you can't handle much more either!"

"Just shut up and do it!" X004 demanded. He let out another groan of pain as more of the force was transferred to him from X009.

"They can't take much more of this…" X007 mumbled under his breath. "Nana let me go! They need my help!"

Nana did not respond her focus once again on her data pad.

"Nana!" X007 snapped.

"I heard you X007! Just trust them! Besides we have other problems!" Nana fired back snapping her head around to look at X007 in the eyes.

X007 had never seen the kind of fierceness in her eyes she was displaying now. It took him completely by surprise pulling the wind completely out of his sails and forced him to second guess arguing with her further.

"X001 you have 4 unidentified targets closing in on you from behind your current location be on guard!" Nana ordered across the public comm.

"What?!" X007 exclaimed shifting his attention back to the screen. X007 could feel his stomach drop, Nana was right there were 4 yellow dots closing in on his squad mate's location…what the hell was going on?!

Finally with a giant flash of light the Klaxosaurs attack ended and the Mark Twos each dropped down to one knee completely exhausted.

"Are you serious?!" X001 managed to get out between labored breaths.

"They will be on your location any second get ready!" Nana instructed.

Before the Mark Twos could even get stood up to turn around and face the unknown arrivals 4 grey Franxx shot around them and took their positions surrounding the Stratos.

X007 instantly recognized the color and design of the standard grey Franxx with their Magana blade spears…there was no other option…it had to be the Pilots of plantation #197!

Nana must have quickly made the connection as well. She wasted no time getting on the comm link. "Code 797 what are you and your squad doing on the battlefield? You were ordered to stay at the plantation!"

"We couldn't just stand around and watch anymore!" 797 responded "The Stratos squad obviously can't handle this thing on their own! And it is our duty to defend our home!"

Nana replied with more anger in her voice than X007 had ever recalled hearing before. "797 you and your squad are to stand down immediately and return to the plantation at once! Do you understand me? That's a direct order!"

"I'm sorry mam…but we can't do that." 797 responded his tone firm.

"You idiots!" X004 called out. "Get the hell out of here!"

"You are going to get yourselves killed!" X009 chimed in as well.

"We will be fine!? 797 responded. "Let us help you!"

"You will only get in the way!" X001 joined in "We can't protect you and the plantation both!"

"We don't need your protection! For being the squad that is supposed to handle these things you sure seem to be struggling!" 797 snarled. "Squad 197 wrap it up!"

At 797s command the Franxx launched their spear heads entangling the Stratos in the cables that were attached to the spears. The Stratos took a quick look at its new opponents before blowing more blue steam from its nose.

"Alright finish it off!" 797 ordered.

At his command the squad of Plantation 197 all pressed a button found on the hilt of their spear sending energy down the cable shocking the Stratos who let out a roar in agony.

"Damn…let's get in there before they themselves get killed X010" X001 groaned as the Mark Two started to stand up. Once on its feet the Mark Two stood perfectly still for a moment before they heard X001s voice desperately call out across the comms "X010?"

Suddenly the light faded from the Mark Twos eyes as it toppled over backwards crashing down flat on its back. X007 could hear his heart beating within his chest as the entire world stopped as he watched the lifeless Franxx come crashing down as he whispered beneath his breath. "No…."

"X001? X010?!" X009 called out as she and X004 brought their kneeling Franxx over to their side. "What's going on?! Are you ok?!"

"X001! X009! Respond!" Nana called out over the comms.

 _Silence_

"X001! X009! Respond!" She cried out even louder in desperation.

 _Silence_

X007 could feel his blood pressure rising as the silence began to overwhelm him. "Guys if you can hear us please respond!"

"That's it I am opening up their cockpit and getting them out of here!" X004 called out.

"No, you can't! It's too dangerous! Right now they are safer in the Franxx! You need to finish this quickly so we can get them help!" Nana ordered

"But…" X004 began to argue before a strange voice cut him off over the comm.

"What the Hell?"

Everyone focused their attention back over to the squad of plantation #197 just in time to see the struggling Stratos break a hand free and grab onto one of the cables it was entangled in. With one mighty pull it yanked on the cable pulling the attached Franxx within grabbing range. With one swift motion the Stratos removed its freed hand from the cable and grabbed the head of the Franxx in its clawed hand. With a simple squeeze the head of the Franxx ruptured causing orange magma energy to come spewing out as the Stratos opened its hand and the lifeless Franxx crumbled to the ground.

"No!" 797 cried out "Everyone disengage!"

Squad 197 retracted their spears and backed up to a safer distance…the Stratos announced its freedom with a frenzied roar throwing both arms into the air leaving its chest wide open. One of the members of squad 197 tried to take advantage of the opening and rushed in lunging the spear into the crack in the Klaxosaurs armor. The head on the spear found its home wedging itself into the chest of the Stratos…however there was not enough strength behind the thrust to push it through to the core.

The Stratos lowered its gaze its blue eyes looking straight down at the Franxx.

"Get out of there!" X004 screamed.

But it was too late. In one fluid motion the Stratos brought down both of its arms down onto the vulnerable Franxx easily crushing it into the ground orange magma energy spewing everywhere.

"No...you monster!" 797 screamed out in rage as he and the other remaining Franxx rushed in. Both of them slashing and stabbing with everything they had in a blind fury of rage.

With the realization that X004 and X009 were its only threat the Stratos ignored the remaining members of plantation 197s squad and solely focused its attention on the Mark Two.

"Shit…" X004 mumbled under his breath as he and X009 brought their Franxx into standing position ready to defend themselves and the unresponsive Franxx of X001 and X010.

"Don't worry guys I am coming!" X007 shouted across the public comm.

"X007 no not yet we need permission from Papa still!" Nana begged him as he bolted through the door and out of the room.

X007 ignored her cries and quickly jumped the railing bypassing the stairs and landing with a solid thud on the bottom floor of the carrier. Without missing a beat he sprung off running at full speed towards his docked Mark Two. At this point he didn't care if he would be reprimanded for disobeying a direct order from Papa…he didn't even care if he was killed for it. If he didn't act now…if he didn't come to the aid of his squad mates when they needed him the most…he might lose them forever anyway.

X007 quickly climbed the ladder that lead to the platform that allowed access to the Mark Twos cock pit. He immediately opened it using the emergency latch outside, hopped in and strapped himself into the gauntlets.

 _Warning solo pilot startup verified, safety protocol engaging startup denied_

"Override" X007 shouted out. Hating the fact that he had to go through this ridiculous command sequence every time!

 _Override command authorized. Mark Two starting up in limited mode_

"Come on…Come on…" X007 urged the Franxx to start up faster.

 _Startup Complete_

X007 let out a small groan as the weight of the Mark Two bore down on him as it came to life.

"Damn…this thing is not getting any lighter. I suppose I should just be glad it no longer feels like it's going to rip me apart." X007 mumbled under his breath. He quickly exited the carrier and sent his Franxx skimming across the sand at full speed.

"X007 you need to come back immediately…that's an order." Nana instructed him over the comm.

"Sorry Nana….apparently I'm just not very good at following orders." X007 replied as he shut her comm off and brought up a live feed of the battle on the Mark Twos display.

X007 felt his heart sink as he saw X004 and X009s Mark Two and the Franxx of 797 and his partner standing alone of the battlefield. Somehow the Stratos the gotten ahold of another one of Plantation #197s pilots as now there were 3 lifeless Franxx bodies strewn across the ground orange Magma energy soaking the soil.

How could everything have gone south so quickly? X007 grit his teeth as he urged his Franxx to pick up speed keeping an eye on the live feed waiting to see what might happen next. "Hold on just a little longer guys I'm on my way…" X007 whispered to himself in the cockpit.

"It…It killed them all…" 797 stammered his voice laced with fear.

"Hey keep it together!" X009 urged him. "One of our squad mates is on his way to give us backup."

"Backup?" 797 cried out "Are you insane? We have to get out of here!"

"No!" X004 snapped "If we run it will destroy us and then make its way to the plantation! Whatever you do DO NOT drop your guard!"

"It ripped through them all like they were nothing…there's no beating this thing we are all good as dead" 797 stammered a strange craze creeping into his voice as his Franxx took a slight step backwards

"No!" X004 called out. But it was too late the Stratos had noticed 797s hesitation and made its move.

With a loud roar the Stratos quickly closed the distance between it and 797 who stood in place completely frozen in fear.

"Look out!" X004 and X009 screamed in unison as they activated their thrusters flying towards 797 trying to beat the monster to its target.

The Klaxosaurs arms opened wide as it came within range ready to crush down onto the defenseless Franxx.

"Move!" X009 cried as they slammed their Mark Two into 797s Franxx knocking him and his partner out of the way of danger just before the Stratos brought its crushing hands together.

 _Crunch…_

X007 felt adrenaline rush through his body like a bolt of lightning as he watched the Stratos crush the Mark Twos head between its hands. X007 let out a scream of rage as he pushed his thrusters into over drive as he simultaneously pulled his sword from its resting place on his Franxx back. He was so close…he just prayed his thrusters didn't over heat before he could get to X004 and X009.

"Let go of me!" X004 squalled as the Mark Two pulled and tugged at the hands of the Stratos trying to break its iron grip.

"Come on!...Come on!" X007 cried out as the ground rushed beneath his Franxx feet, the Stratos getting larger by the second as he got closer and closer.

X004 and X009 once again activated their boosters trying to use the extra force to break free but the Stratos only tightened its grip. X004 and X009 screamed in agony as the armor around their cockpit began to screech as it gave way under the pressure of the roaring Klaxosaurs grip.

X007s grip tightened around the hilt of his sword at the sound of his squad mates cries of pain.

"You Bastard!" X007 cried out with all his might his face twisted with anger as he closed in the last few hundred feet between him and the Stratos in a flash. He slipped underneath the airborne Mark Two of X004 and X009 then without hesitation used his strength and momentum to shove his sword deep into the crack within the Klaxosaurs armor plating, the impact causing a shock wave that rippled through the air and brought X007s Mark Two and the Klaxosaurs roars to a complete halt.

There was a moment of stillness and silence as the world seemed to stop spinning for a moment the only sound coming from the cooling of X007s Mark Two thrusters as they powered down.

Then suddenly there was a bright flash of blue light followed by a small explosion as drops of blue fluid began to rain down from the sky. X007 slowly turned his gaze to his sword. He could feel his body begin to relax as he saw the round Klaxosaur core pierced halfway up his blade. They had done it! The Stratos had been defeated!

X007 straightened up his Franxx and began to turn back around to face the squad mates he had rushed in to rescue speaking as he turned.

"Hey X004, X009 are you guys…ok…"

X007s voice trailed off, his blood running cold as he released his grip on his sword allowing it and the Klaxosaur core to thud to the ground. His mouth went dry, all the feeling in his limbs suddenly gone his Franxx dropped down to its knees the strength to stand leaving him as he stared on in disbelief at the sight before him.

X004 and X009s Mark Two lay flat on its back motionless in the sand with nothing but a pool of magma energy where the cockpit should have been. The bright orange liquid shimmering in the sun slowly soaking into the ground.

"No…..no….no..no no no no no!" X007 repeated over and over again as if he were stuck in a loop unable to move past this moment in time.

He clawed at his face screaming in agony! He had failed them! He should have pushed harder!...No! He should have been there from the start! X004 and X009 were gone and it was all his fault!

X007 continued to scream and wail beating his fists into the floor of his Franxx as tears streamed from his eyes. He could feel himself slowly losing his sanity…he couldn't handle this…why did everything he fought for everything he cared about have to be taken away?!

 _Whoooosshh_

X007 grew silent at the sound of X001 and X009s cockpit opening. He sat for a moment in an almost trance like state before X001s voice broke over the comm forcing him back into sanity long enough to realize the gravity of the situation.

"Help! Is anyone out there?!" X001 cried out desperately.

"X001?!" X007 called out through his tears.

X007s Franxx stumbled and tumbled drunkenly as X007 did his best to get over next to them in his emotionally unstable state. Once he was next to them, he lowered his own cockpit next to theirs ripped himself out of his piloting gauntlets opened his cock pit and then stepped out onto theirs.

"X001?!" X007 called out once again as he landed in their cockpit.

X007 could feel his heart break within his chest as his very soul itself seemed to crack. There was X001 on his knee's tears from his one good eye streaming down his own face as he held X010s body in his arms her eyes lifeless, a small trickle of blood making its way down the corner of her mouth…the strain of holding back the Klaxosaurs relentless blast had been too much for her body to handle

X007s arms dropped down to his sides as he once again lost his strength and feel to his knees tears still flowing from his eyes. He knelt there in silence listening to the sobs of X001. X007 searched deep within himself trying to find the strength to join his only surviving squad mate in his agony…but he couldn't feel anything….not anymore….this world had taken everything.


	7. Authors Note & Update

Please Stand By...

-X


End file.
